San Diego County law enforcement and fire agencies have secretly run a local committee that has spent over $200 million on armored vehicles, facial recognition technology, license plate readers, drones, riot gear, and other security equipment and technologies without public participation and in violation of state “sunshine” laws, keeping the public in the dark about purchases of controversial police equipment.
The San Diego Urban Area Working Group (UAWG, pronounced “yu-ag”) is the designated Approval Authority under a federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program established after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
UAWG, a subcommittee of the San Diego County Unified Disaster Council (UDC), is comprised of a police or fire department representative from each of the 18 cities in the county and the Director of the County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and has been conducting its meetings quietly without giving required public notices.
Local Law Enforcement Agencies Have Spent Over $100 Million on Tactical Equipment In Violation of Public Disclosure Laws | laprensa-sandiego.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from laprensa-sandiego.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.