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"slug": "blue-tsunami-impresses-bay-area-voters-theres-more-work-to-do-they-say",
"title": "‘Blue Tsunami’ Impresses Bay Area Voters. There’s More Work to Do, They Say",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/mid-term-elections\">2026 midterm elections\u003c/a> were historic for Democrats, but those who kept the Golden State blue are adamant that now is not the time for party leaders to get complacent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bay Area voters rallied in San Francisco and San José on Saturday to celebrate a “tsunami” of firsts and accomplishments for the Democratic Party – multiple flipped red-to-blue seats, the first-ever Black female governor in the country and the first Muslim member of the Senate, to name a few – in what many say is a repudiation of President Donald Trump and the issues that took priority in his Make America Great Again movement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Organized by the Can’t Stop California campaign, the demonstrations brought together unions, advocates, community members and some elected officials to take the win in stride. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters and SEIU union members cheer during a rally celebrating the midterm election results at Civic Center in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Our work is just beginning, because he has left a tsunami of horror and a horrible mess behind him,” Lisa Hesselgesser of Oakland said at the San Francisco rally. “Top Democrats – their main concern should be supporting the new Democrats coming in.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats will start 2027 in control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, having \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-districts-flipped-2026-midterm-elections/\">flipped\u003c/a> dozens of Republican-held seats. In California, where outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom proudly gerrymandered district maps, Democrats \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107117/california-democrats-flip-multiple-house-seats-adding-to-nationwide-blue-wave\">picked up at least five\u003c/a> Republican seats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attendees of Saturday’s rallies told KQED they want Democratic Party leaders to pass the torch to the “new guard”; abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement or take a more humane approach to immigration; curb the power of billionaires; and focus on healthcare. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ellen Simms of Berkeley said the left has created a big tent of diverse views that need to be managed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When you have a big tent, you have a lot of different ideas about where to go, and I think we need to have a very frank discussion about what it is. and why they came out to vote,” Simms said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the San Francisco rally, Anita Medal of Berkeley, said she felt “relief” from Tuesday’s results and a similar joy to when President Barack Obama was elected in 2008. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“But it didn’t quite materialize. I’m much more skeptical now,” said Medal, rocking a cowboy hat and a jacket spotted with pins and patches saying things like, “ICE, GTFO.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Locally, community members also noticed a shift left that comes with its own work ahead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Progressive San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who fell short in her bid for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat in Congress against state Sen. Scott Wiener, said that work also needs to continue in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is that moment when we win an election, we say, ‘We won – what do we do?’” Chan told attendees in front of San Francisco’s City Hall. “We have to hold the people we elected – hold their feet to the fire.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Berkeley resident Anita Medal holds a sign reading “The people united will never be divided” during a post-election rally at Civic Center in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jennifer Esteen, vice president of organizing at SEIU 1021, called out San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, in particular — earning cheers from Saturday’s crowd: “Daniel, do right!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lurie, whose popularity has \u003ca href=\"https://www.thedemocracylab.com/pdfs/ca11_poll.pdf\">polled\u003c/a> high in recent months, appears to have won in his own campaign push to “Clean Up City Hall,” despite pushback from some progressives. Lurie-backed Propositions D, E and F are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107984/lurie-backed-propositions-appear-headed-to-victory-in-san-francisco\">probably going to come out\u003c/a> in his favor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the East Bay, progressive Claudia Jiménez, a Richmond City Council member, declared victory Friday in her bid for mayor of the city after Contra Costa County elections officials released updated results on her contest with moderate Ahmad Anderson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Richmond City Council member Melvin Willis, part of the same progressive group to which Jiménez belongs, said he was excited to see what Jiménez had in store for the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When she dives into an issue, she dives into it – will dedicate herself to it and check in with the community and try to understand it as much as possible and try to make the right decision,” Willis said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs calling for political change and collective action line the stage area during a post-election rally at Civic Center in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In San José, Dominic Barroga, a chapter officer at the Silicon Valley Democratic Socialists of America, said the biggest risk of Democrats coming into power again is complacency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“People will become apathetic again if [they] don’t do what we elected them to do,” Barroga said in an interview. “That’s why I think it’s really important that we’re here today to encourage our elected leaders to hold the current administration accountable.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jmelido\">\u003cem>Janea Melido\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bay Area voters rallied in San Francisco and San José on Saturday to celebrate a “tsunami” of firsts and accomplishments for the Democratic Party – multiple flipped red-to-blue seats, the first-ever Black female governor in the country and the first Muslim member of the Senate, to name a few – in what many say is a repudiation of President Donald Trump and the issues that took priority in his Make America Great Again movement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Organized by the Can’t Stop California campaign, the demonstrations brought together unions, advocates, community members and some elected officials to take the win in stride. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters and SEIU union members cheer during a rally celebrating the midterm election results at Civic Center in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our work is just beginning, because he has left a tsunami of horror and a horrible mess behind him,” Lisa Hesselgesser of Oakland said at the San Francisco rally. “Top Democrats – their main concern should be supporting the new Democrats coming in.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Democrats will start 2027 in control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, having \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-districts-flipped-2026-midterm-elections/\">flipped\u003c/a> dozens of Republican-held seats. In California, where outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom proudly gerrymandered district maps, Democrats \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107117/california-democrats-flip-multiple-house-seats-adding-to-nationwide-blue-wave\">picked up at least five\u003c/a> Republican seats. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Attendees of Saturday’s rallies told KQED they want Democratic Party leaders to pass the torch to the “new guard”; abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement or take a more humane approach to immigration; curb the power of billionaires; and focus on healthcare. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Attendees of Saturday’s rallies told KQED they want Democratic Party leaders to pass the torch to the “new guard”; abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement or take a more humane approach to immigration; curb the power of billionaires; and focus on healthcare. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you have a big tent, you have a lot of different ideas about where to go, and I think we need to have a very frank discussion about what it is. and why they came out to vote,” Simms said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the San Francisco rally, Anita Medal of Berkeley, said she felt “relief” from Tuesday’s results and a similar joy to when President Barack Obama was elected in 2008. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But it didn’t quite materialize. I’m much more skeptical now,” said Medal, rocking a cowboy hat and a jacket spotted with pins and patches saying things like, “ICE, GTFO.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Progressive San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who fell short in her bid for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat in Congress against state Sen. Scott Wiener, said that work also needs to continue in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is that moment when we win an election, we say, ‘We won – what do we do?’” Chan told attendees in front of San Francisco’s City Hall. “We have to hold the people we elected – hold their feet to the fire.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jennifer Esteen, vice president of organizing at SEIU 1021, called out San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, in particular — earning cheers from Saturday’s crowd: “Daniel, do right!” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lurie, whose popularity has \u003ca href=\"https://www.thedemocracylab.com/pdfs/ca11_poll.pdf\">polled\u003c/a> high in recent months, appears to have won in his own campaign push to “Clean Up City Hall,” despite pushback from some progressives. Lurie-backed Propositions D, E and F are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107984/lurie-backed-propositions-appear-headed-to-victory-in-san-francisco\">probably going to come out\u003c/a> in his favor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the East Bay, progressive Claudia Jiménez, a Richmond City Council member, declared victory Friday in her bid for mayor of the city after Contra Costa County elections officials released updated results on her contest with moderate Ahmad Anderson. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When she dives into an issue, she dives into it – will dedicate herself to it and check in with the community and try to understand it as much as possible and try to make the right decision,” Willis said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In San José, Dominic Barroga, a chapter officer at the Silicon Valley Democratic Socialists of America, said the biggest risk of Democrats coming into power again is complacency. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People will become apathetic again if [they] don’t do what we elected them to do,” Barroga said in an interview. “That’s why I think it’s really important that we’re here today to encourage our elected leaders to hold the current administration accountable.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jmelido\">\u003cem>Janea Melido\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "People in San Francisco and San José joined a statewide action Saturday to celebrate their wins in Congress. ",
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"title": "‘Blue Tsunami’ Impresses Bay Area Voters. There’s More Work to Do, They Say | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/mid-term-elections\">2026 midterm elections\u003c/a> were historic for Democrats, but those who kept the Golden State blue are adamant that now is not the time for party leaders to get complacent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bay Area voters rallied in San Francisco and San José on Saturday to celebrate a “tsunami” of firsts and accomplishments for the Democratic Party – multiple flipped red-to-blue seats, the first-ever Black female governor in the country and the first Muslim member of the Senate, to name a few – in what many say is a repudiation of President Donald Trump and the issues that took priority in his Make America Great Again movement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Organized by the Can’t Stop California campaign, the demonstrations brought together unions, advocates, community members and some elected officials to take the win in stride. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_006_qed-4811720e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters and SEIU union members cheer during a rally celebrating the midterm election results at Civic Center in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Our work is just beginning, because he has left a tsunami of horror and a horrible mess behind him,” Lisa Hesselgesser of Oakland said at the San Francisco rally. “Top Democrats – their main concern should be supporting the new Democrats coming in.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats will start 2027 in control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, having \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-districts-flipped-2026-midterm-elections/\">flipped\u003c/a> dozens of Republican-held seats. In California, where outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom proudly gerrymandered district maps, Democrats \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107117/california-democrats-flip-multiple-house-seats-adding-to-nationwide-blue-wave\">picked up at least five\u003c/a> Republican seats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attendees of Saturday’s rallies told KQED they want Democratic Party leaders to pass the torch to the “new guard”; abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement or take a more humane approach to immigration; curb the power of billionaires; and focus on healthcare. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ellen Simms of Berkeley said the left has created a big tent of diverse views that need to be managed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When you have a big tent, you have a lot of different ideas about where to go, and I think we need to have a very frank discussion about what it is. and why they came out to vote,” Simms said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the San Francisco rally, Anita Medal of Berkeley, said she felt “relief” from Tuesday’s results and a similar joy to when President Barack Obama was elected in 2008. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“But it didn’t quite materialize. I’m much more skeptical now,” said Medal, rocking a cowboy hat and a jacket spotted with pins and patches saying things like, “ICE, GTFO.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Locally, community members also noticed a shift left that comes with its own work ahead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Progressive San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who fell short in her bid for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat in Congress against state Sen. Scott Wiener, said that work also needs to continue in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is that moment when we win an election, we say, ‘We won – what do we do?’” Chan told attendees in front of San Francisco’s City Hall. “We have to hold the people we elected – hold their feet to the fire.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_005_qed-c7eadc20-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Berkeley resident Anita Medal holds a sign reading “The people united will never be divided” during a post-election rally at Civic Center in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jennifer Esteen, vice president of organizing at SEIU 1021, called out San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, in particular — earning cheers from Saturday’s crowd: “Daniel, do right!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lurie, whose popularity has \u003ca href=\"https://www.thedemocracylab.com/pdfs/ca11_poll.pdf\">polled\u003c/a> high in recent months, appears to have won in his own campaign push to “Clean Up City Hall,” despite pushback from some progressives. Lurie-backed Propositions D, E and F are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107984/lurie-backed-propositions-appear-headed-to-victory-in-san-francisco\">probably going to come out\u003c/a> in his favor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the East Bay, progressive Claudia Jiménez, a Richmond City Council member, declared victory Friday in her bid for mayor of the city after Contra Costa County elections officials released updated results on her contest with moderate Ahmad Anderson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Richmond City Council member Melvin Willis, part of the same progressive group to which Jiménez belongs, said he was excited to see what Jiménez had in store for the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When she dives into an issue, she dives into it – will dedicate herself to it and check in with the community and try to understand it as much as possible and try to make the right decision,” Willis said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/11072026_PostElex-Rallies_GH_025_qed-2e2b8964-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs calling for political change and collective action line the stage area during a post-election rally at Civic Center in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In San José, Dominic Barroga, a chapter officer at the Silicon Valley Democratic Socialists of America, said the biggest risk of Democrats coming into power again is complacency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“People will become apathetic again if [they] don’t do what we elected them to do,” Barroga said in an interview. “That’s why I think it’s really important that we’re here today to encourage our elected leaders to hold the current administration accountable.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jmelido\">\u003cem>Janea Melido\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-heart-behind-the-mic-how-randy-hahn-brings-sharks-games-to-life",
"title": "The Heart Behind the Mic: How Randy Hahn Brings Sharks Games to Life",
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"headTitle": "The Heart Behind the Mic: How Randy Hahn Brings Sharks Games to Life | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003cem>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of all the things that make Randy Hahn stand out in the world of ice hockey announcers, there is one fact of his career that rises above the rest: he’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose-sharks\">San José Sharks\u003c/a> were first established in 1991. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a lot of fans, Hahn’s been the voice of the Sharks for their entire lives, helping to cultivate and nurture father-son bonds across the Bay Area for three generations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’ve been watching Randy since I was a kid, with my dad,” said Mark Gavartin, a long-time Sharks fan who now works at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Gavartin had 4-year-old twins of his own and began passing the team allegiance down the family line. Watching the dramatic first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights on TV, Gavartin relied on Hahn to transport the excitement unfolding in the arena back to him and his family on his living room couch. Years later, just thinking about Hahn calling that Game 7 overtime gave Gavartin goosebumps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We were so emotional,” he remembered. “With the Sharks and Randy Hahn, it was like we were all together on this. We were like buddies, watching the game together.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn commentates during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But as the Sharks advanced through the playoffs, then to the conference final, Gavartin noticed something strange: his buddy, Randy Hahn, was no longer behind the microphone calling the games. The national network wanted one of their own announcers to make the postseason calls. It was a voice Gavartin didn’t know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was not the same as listening to Randy Hahn,” he said. “It’s some other guy who was ‘meh, okay.’ Like, he didn’t go through what we went through.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gavartin wondered what many fans across many teams have wondered over the years: why did his beloved announcer disappear from the airwaves right when the team hit the peak of success? The question is not unique to the NHL. The phenomenon occurs across all sports during the postseason. But to truly understand why national TV networks install their own announcers for the most high-profile games, it is important, first, to understand why that decision leaves so many fans feeling so bereft. The fans of Randy Hahn, and the generations-worth of love and loyalty they hold for him, offer the perfect case study to reveal the answer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘A roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On game days, the ice rink at San José’s SAP Center, aka the Shark Tank, is full of teal-clad fans. After the 2019 playoffs, the Sharks entered a drought and spectatorship dwindled amid the teams’ losses. But since acquiring the teenage phenom Macklin Celebrini in 2024, attendance at home games is again respectable; last year they filled the arena to 93% capacity on average and had 22 sellouts. For the Sharks home game against the Chicago Blackhawks last spring, every fan milling by the hot dog and beer stands, young or old, knew Hahn and had something to say about what made him a living legend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He’s a Sharks encyclopedia,” said Tristan Nickey, who grew up in San José, but now lives in Idaho where he watches Hahn call the games on ESPN+. “He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out, and it makes the whole game enjoyable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For 18-year-old Mia Dimmock, who started watching hockey a few years ago after seeing a clip on TikTok, Hahn explains things in a way that makes the game accessible to newbies. He shares details about players that bring them to life. He’s at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108428\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fan watches the San José Sharks play the Vancouver Canucks on a television in the concourse at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He is that connection to the team that we need,” Dimmock said. “He is the team and the team is him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hahn calls home games from an open-air broadcast booth inside the arena – a narrow perch at the front of section 215 overlooking the ice. I crammed into a chair behind him and watched over his shoulder as he called the Sharks’ game vs. the Blackhawks, and I noticed what Dimmock noticed: while Hahn is calling the play-by-play, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc with historic context tucked in. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Currently, the leading man is Celebrini, now 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Macklin’s not the only child in the family,” Hahn told TV viewers during a lull in play. “His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck, and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in Vancouver and is starting to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. Watch out for RJ Celebrini.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Equally interesting to what Hahn shares is what he doesn’t share. There are certain facts and details he holds back. If Hahn notices a player on the bus with a bag of ice on his ankle or his hand wrapped in a bandage, for example, he won’t say anything during a game.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108420\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn and color commentator Drew Remenda meet fans in between periods of the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There might be somebody on another team who knows that if that player has a sore left knee, ‘I’m gonna go after that knee,’” Hahn told me. “It’s pro sports; it’s cutthroat. People are playing for money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if a defensive player has a goal scored against him, Hahn won’t say he failed to make the right play because he’s injured, but he will shade his commentary differently; he’ll be less critical. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s our way of putting our arm around him, if you will,” Hahn said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There’s an inherent tension in this. Hahn works for NBC Sports Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster, and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance from his subjects. But that boundary can get murky, especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technically, he’s not part of the team, but fans absolutely see him that way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He is the Sharks to me,” said Trevin Cholmondeley, a fan from Napa.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108394\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trevin Cholmondeley (left) grew up watching the Sharks and listening to Randy Hahn call games with his dad, Randy Cholmondeley (right). They attended a home game together at the SAP Center on April 6, 2026. (April Dembosky/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This tension hit a high point last December when the Sharks played the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period, two Penguins were sent to the penalty box and the Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hahn is fond of saying that every hockey season is a “roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera,” and through the twists and turns of the third period in Pittsburgh, he seized the energy in the arena and transposed it back to fans watching at home. He built the suspense of each goal the Sharks scored in the next five minutes like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony. When the Sharks tied the game 5-5, then scored the winning goal in overtime, Hahn rallied the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They scooooore!” he roared. “One of the most amazing comebacks in franchise history! Sharks win! I’m beside myself, and there’s tears in my eyes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was an expert, nuanced performance, on the ice and off. Hahn modulated his cadence and pitch to up the drama of each play, then added a strong dose of vulnerability, all to create what he later called “the theater of the moment.” He shouted in ecstasy to punctuate the win, then swiftly confessed to his TV audience that he was crying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Afterward, Hahn texted a colleague and admitted that he was worried he’d gone too far at that game; perhaps he’d veered beyond his professional broadcasting boundaries and allowed himself to become overly emotional?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn writes notes during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he’d struck the right balance. Coaches and players have to keep their heads in the game. They can’t lose their cool after every goal. Hahn seemed to surmise that part of his job is to express the emotions that the other men on the team can’t. Hahn does the feeling for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When something like that happens, it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process,” Hahn told the Sharks’ in-house podcaster Brodie Brazil. “To me, it was them saying, ‘you captured the way we felt even though we couldn’t show it.’ A head coach can’t show that; it just wouldn’t look right. But inside, you feel it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Hahn does the feeling for them, too. When Hahn teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I felt what he was feeling,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Hahn got excited, so did Caleb Edwards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Hearing his motivation and his excitement build just kind of pulsates through you as a fan,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Hahn screamed into his mic, Trevin Cholmondeley screamed back at the TV.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The dude lost his voice halfway through,” he said. “I think he understands the energy that’s in the clubhouse that we, as a fan, don’t get to experience. We can live, sort of, through him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do local announcers get sidelined during the playoffs?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. To Sharks fans, Randy Hahn is an emotional conduit, a medium, channeling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and fans. So when the playoffs come, and the local TV announcer gets deposed, replaced by a national announcer, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It will suck,” said Edwards, echoing a chorus of complaints from fans who wish Hahn could announce those games, should they come to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering, ‘Why, if my team makes the playoffs, can’t I get my local announcers? Why am I getting the national announcers?’” said Richard Deitsch, a sports journalist who has worked for Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC Radio in Canada. “By and large, the answer to these questions is the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108418\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (right) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Sharks first made the playoffs in 1994, local television announcers called every playoff game, through four rounds. But as national networks like ESPN and Fox got into the business of airing the Stanley Cup finals, and paid high rights fees for the privilege, they wanted exclusivity in return. While NBC Sports Bay Area, Hahn’s employer, aired the regular season games and early rounds of the playoffs, they no longer had the right to air the final series. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When networks negotiated the next contract, they wanted exclusivity of the final two rounds of the playoffs. And when ESPN and TNT signed their latest contract with the NHL – a seven-year deal for $600 million – they won exclusivity of the final three rounds of the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more national TV networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the Stanley Cup hockey finals; 20 million for the World Series; 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“These are massive numbers, and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time,” Deitsch said. “It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans may not agree on who should win, but they agree the game is worth watching. Across racial backgrounds, political affiliations, and religious beliefs, people can sit together in the same arena, or in front of one TV at a bar, and share the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business,” said Deitsh, “because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not the only thing, left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because so many different audiences are tuning in, including fans from both teams, the national networks are looking for neutrality and impartiality in their broadcasts. Hahn’s passion for the Sharks, or even simply his affiliation with the team, is seen as a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a brutal reality for local announcers. To follow a team to the climax of the season, then be forced to turn the mic over to someone else. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s like you go to this great movie, it’s unbelievably dramatic, you’re there, and literally seven minutes before the movie’s over, an usher asks you to leave,” Deitsch said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Hahn was in the stands at the Shark Tank, watching the game with all the other fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But fans at home wished he was in the broadcast booth, not realizing that what they most loved about Hahn was precisely what disqualified him from calling the finals. They want his partiality. They prefer his bias. And they’re not shy about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (left) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs,” said Trevin Cholmondeley. He wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs of the soap opera-infused roller coaster. “Every season’s a little microcosm of life, and not having someone like Hahn, or any team’s local announcer, on the big stage just brings the quality down for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last winter, after the Sharks’ stunning win over Pittsburgh, Hahn predicted the Sharks would make the playoffs, if not last season, when they just missed qualifying, then this season for sure.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Fans will be tuning in, ready for Randy Hahn to be their prophet, their guide, their buddy, through every twist and turn.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sounds of ice skating\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> The NHL season officially opened at the end of September and ice hockey fans around the country are hoping \u003cem>their\u003c/em> team will make it to the playoffs next spring. Fans are prone to believing \u003cem>their\u003c/em> players, their coaches, even their announcers are the best. For San Jose Sharks fans, that announcer is Randy Hahn. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>The building’s come alive! Here’s Kane, Knight push, back for Burns, save, rebound!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Fans still talk about Randy’s calls from the last time the Sharks made it to the playoffs – in 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong> He’ll drop it back for Burns. Over to Couture. Scooore! They’ve done it. (Fade under earlier, starting here: They’ve come all the way back with a tie!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Longtime Sharks fan and Bay Curious listener Mark Gavartin remembers this game really well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I listened to it many, many times.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> He says just talking about it now, years later, still gives him goose bumps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And then the Sharks won that game on overtime. And it was just like crazy. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mark had four-year old twins at the time. So it was really hard to make it out to any of the games. He couldn’t sit in an arena with thousands of other fans riding the same emotional roller coaster together. Instead, he watched the games on TV and he relied on Randy to transport that excitement to his living room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And we were so like emotional with the, you know the Sharks and the, and Randy Hahn. And we just like, you know, like we’re all like together on this. It’s like having buddies watching the game together.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> But then something strange happened. As the Sharks advanced through the playoffs then to the conference final, fans no longer heard Randy Hahn behind the mic. The national network wanted one of \u003cem>their\u003c/em> announcers to call the games instead. A guy that Mark didn’t know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> It was like not the same listening to Randy Hahn. It was just different. It was like like they didn’t go through what we went through. And now it’s like some other guy is like, eh, you know, like, okay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> And that made Mark wonder: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> Why doesn’t Randy Hahn call the final rounds of the playoffs? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> And that made us wonder, why do fans care so much that he doesn’t?\u003cbr>\u003cbr>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This is Bay Curious, the show that answers listener questions about the San Francisco Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked KQED’s April Dembosky to introduce us to Randy Hahn and the fans who love him. Then explain why Randy disappears from the airwaves at the most critical moment in the season. Here’s April…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There are a lot of things about Randy Hahn that make him stand out in the world of hockey announcers. But there’s one thing in particular. He’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since San Jose first established its team in 1991. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a lot of fans, Randy’s been the voice of the Sharks for their entire lives. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> He IS the Sharks to me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Kenneth:\u003c/strong> Just living legend. I’ve been listening to him since I was a kid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark:\u003c/strong> I’ve been watching since I was a kid with my dad. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> Randy’s a part of my life since I was a baby.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is so iconic, Pixar filmmakers asked him to do a cameo in the movie Inside Out. Riley’s dad is caught daydreaming about a hockey game when his wife is trying to talk to him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Inside Out\u003c/em>\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>clip: Sound of hockey game announcing. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sounds of Sharks arena\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last spring I went to see the Sharks play the Chicago Blackhawks at the SAP center, aka, the Shark tank. And every fan I talked to … \u003cem>knew\u003c/em> Randy and had something to say about why they loved him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s a Sharks encyclopedia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Tristan Nickey is from San Jose but lives in Idaho now. He watches all the Sharks games on ESPN plus where he has the choice to select Randy as his announcer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out and it makes the whole game enjoyable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I feel like he’s a through on through Sharks man.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Eighteen year old Mia Dimmock started watching hockey a few years ago, after she saw a clip on TikTok. She says Randy has a way of explaining things that makes the game accessible to newbies like her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He has a way of introducing the fans to the players more and giving them an experience where then we feel more connected to the players as a whole. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He is the team and the team is him. He is that connection to the team that we need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>\u003cem>\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>Let’s see if the Sharks can get some mojo going here in the second period. Will Smith with the puck, drops it for Macklin… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I got to see Randy in action when he called the game against the Blackhawks. I sat behind him, crammed into his open-air broadcast booth in the arena. It’s at the front of section 215. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I noticed what Mia noticed: while Randy is calling the play by play of the games, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Right now, the leading man is 20-year old phenom Macklin Celebrini. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> Macklin’s not the only child in the family. His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in northshore winter club up in Vancouver is started to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When I talked to Randy outside the Shark tank, he explained that there are also certain details he holds back. The guys often play through injuries, but don’t want their opponents to know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> There might be somebody on another team who knows that if that player has a sore left knee, I’m gonna go after that knee. It’s pro sports, it’s cutthroat. People are playing for money. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> If Randy notices a player on the bus with a bag of ice on his ankle or his hand wrapped in a bandage, he won’t say anything during a game, but he’ll shade his commentary differently; he’ll be less critical.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> He might have a goal scored against him and be unable to make a defensive play but I know, you know what? That guy’s toughing it out. And \u003cem>the fans don’t know it and he’s not saying anything about it and we aren’t either, but\u003c/em> it’s our way of putting our arm around him, if you will.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There’s an inherent tension in this. Randy works for NBC Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance. But that boundary can get murky. Especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Arena sounds\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Technically, he’s not part of the team, but Sharks fans absolutely see him that way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> Oh my god! That was so cool. Oh my God.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I caught up with Emma Daniels right after she visited Randy in his broadcast booth and fans line up here in between periods to meet him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m such a big fan of him and he’s been so welcoming toward new fans. Oh my gosh. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> She got to take a picture with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m shaking. That was more exciting than the players. I met Randy Hahn!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> What Emma loves most about Randy is the feeling that he’s on her side. For her, and a bunch of fans, there was one game last season where Randy was \u003cem>so in it.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> There was that game against the Penguins, the clips of him yelling in that game are so amazing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> With every goal, the energy in his voice built \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> The dude lost his voice halfway through, I don’t think he could believe what he was seeing on the ice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It was December 2025. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period TWO Penguins were sent to the penalty box. The Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Listen to the way Randy builds the tension. It’s like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing condensed:\u003c/strong> The Sharks with a power play goal, and it’s 5-2. Off the scramble, and it’s 5-3! The Sharks clawing their way back into this game. It’s 5-4! Save, rebound. They score! They score! The Sharks have tied it up! Unbelievable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The TV cameras pan the crowd, Penguins fans suddenly looking very tired and very nervous, biting their nails, folding their hands in prayer. The game goes into sudden death overtime. And soon enough Randy is rallying the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn annoucing:\u003c/strong> They score! One of the most amazing comebacks in franchise history! Sharks win! I’m beside myself and there’s tears in my eyes, my friend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is doing something complex here. He’s surveying the feeling in the building and delivering it back to fans watching at home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He later told the Sharks’ in-house podcaster Brodie Brazil that he’s creating “the theater of the moment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> If it sounded like I was getting a little more excited with every goal, that was happening organically, yes, but it’s also part of years of doing this job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy shouts in ecstasy in one moment then confesses to his TV audience that he’s crying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Brodie Brazil:\u003c/strong> And you said afterwards, ‘I was a little worried, I got very emotional, I don’t know what happened.’ And that got me thinking, why did you get emotional? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I, I don’t. I still am not sure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy wondered if he’d veered too far beyond his professional boundaries at that game…if he got \u003cem>too\u003c/em> emotional. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he got it right. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> When something like that happens it is it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process and to me it was them saying you captured the way we felt even though we maybe couldn’t show it like a head coach can’t show that, it just wouldn’t look right, right? But inside you feel it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Coaches and players have to keep their heads in the game. They can’t lose their cool after every goal. Randy seems to understand that part of his job is to express the emotions that the other men on the team can’t. Randy does the feeling for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I go into every season with the same expectation, no matter what the roster, the season from start to finish will be a roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It’s the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Randy does the feeling for them, too. When Randy teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> Like I felt it, I was watching the game. And it was absolutely incredible and I felt what he was feeling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy got excited, so did Caleb Edwards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> Hearing his motivation and his excitement build just kind of pulsates through you as a fan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy screamed into his mic, Trevin Cholmondeley screamed back at the TV.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> I think he understands the energy that’s in the clubhouse that we as fans don’t get to experience and I think we can live sort of through him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So you can see why Randy’s fans are so \u003cem>attached\u003c/em> to him. He’s an emotional conduit. An emotional medium. Funneling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and the fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe now it makes sense why fans get so upset at the prospect of their beloved local announcer getting replaced when the team advances through the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> We’ve got to take a quick break, but when we come back we’ll find out why that happens. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sponsor messages\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Okay, so it’s clear that Sharks fans love Randy Hahn. But if the team makes it into the later rounds of the playoffs this season, we won’t be hearing him on air anymore. April Dembosky explains why… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. So when the playoffs come and the TV announcer gets deposed, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> It will suck. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy C:\u003c/strong> That’s what’s a bummer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> That’s a disappointment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I wish it was a local announcer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I think we should petition to get Randy on that board. We need him calling the games.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So why do local announcers get sidelined right when their team hits the peak of success? Randy Hahn has been around long enough to see how this evolved.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Way back in the early days of the Sharks, in 1994 when they first made the playoffs, local television was allowed to do every playoff game through four rounds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But as national networks like ESPN and Fox got into the business of airing the finals, they didn’t want to share the stage with the local stations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> As network television contracts were negotiated and high rights fees were paid by those networks, they started to claw back and said we want exclusivity of the Stanley Cup finals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But it didn’t stop there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Then when the next contract rolled around, we want exclusivity of the final two rounds and then eventually the final three rounds, which is where we sit now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The NHL signed its latest national TV contract in 2021 – a seven year-deal with ESPN and TNT for $600 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Richard Deitsch has been a sports reporter and editor for two decades, at Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC radio in Canada. He says these exclusive contracts exist for all sports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering why, if my team makes the playoffs, can I get my local announcers and why am I getting the national announcers? And by and large, the answer to these questions are the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the hockey finals. 20 million for the World Series. 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> These are massive numbers and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time. It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> They may not agree on who should win, but they agree the game is worth watching. Across racial backgrounds, political affiliations, and religious beliefs, people can sit together in the same arena, or in front of one TV at a bar, and share the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business, is because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not only things left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Deitsch says, on a national broadcast, Randy Hahn’s passion for the Sharks could be a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> They want to at least come off as impartial as possible. There’s got to be neutrality here because they know that there’s different fans tuning in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So what the fans love most about Randy is precisely what disqualifies him from calling the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a brutal reality for local announcers. To follow a team to the climax of the season, then be forced to turn the mic over to someone else. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It’s like you go to this great movie, it’s unbelievably dramatic, you’re there, and literally seven minutes before the movie’s over, an usher asks you to leave. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Well obviously I don’t like it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy Hahn thinks there should be a middle ground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I would prefer to be doing games, and I think fans would love the option of being able to have a choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Randy was in the stands at the Shark tank, watching the game with all the other fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But fans at home wished he was in the broadcast booth. They want his partiality. They prefer his bias. And they’re not shy about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>\u003c/em>I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Trevin Cholmondeley says he wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> Every season’s a little microcosm of life, really, and not having someone like Randy or any team’s local announcer on the big stage. Just brings the quality down for me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sports have always been tribal. Super fans often see their team as an extension of their own identity. And because of that, they have higher self-esteem and lower levels of loneliness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research shows sports provide structure and routine and meaning. They fulfill our need to belong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even when it comes to commiserating over Randy not calling the playoffs – there’s community in that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I was very pleasantly surprised I’m not the only one who’s feeling that way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> That’s what our question-asker Mark Gavartin took away from all this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> This is \u003cem>our\u003c/em> team. We live here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last winter, Randy Hahn predicted the Sharks would make the playoffs, if not last season, then this season for sure. Mark wants Randy to be his prophet, his guide, his buddy, through it all… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And see Randy announce, ‘Hey, the Sharks won the Stanley Cup.’ \u003cem>It hasn’t happened yet, but\u003c/em> wouldn’t that be amazing? Like, to hear his voice saying that? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But even if the Sharks do win the title, that won’t happen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> That was KQED health correspondent April Dembosky.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Big thanks to Mark Gavartin for submitting this week’s question, and to the many KQED members whose support make our reporting possible. Are you a KQED member? Become one today at \u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/podcasts\">donate.kqed.org/podcasts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bay Curious is made in SF at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by\u003cbr>Katrina Schwarts, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, and me, Olivia Allen Price. With extra support from Maha Sanad, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">everyone on Team KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a wonderful week. And go Sharks!\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of all the things that make Randy Hahn stand out in the world of ice hockey announcers, there is one fact of his career that rises above the rest: he’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose-sharks\">San José Sharks\u003c/a> were first established in 1991. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of all the things that make Randy Hahn stand out in the world of ice hockey announcers, there is one fact of his career that rises above the rest: he’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose-sharks\">San José Sharks\u003c/a> were first established in 1991. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For a lot of fans, Hahn’s been the voice of the Sharks for their entire lives, helping to cultivate and nurture father-son bonds across the Bay Area for three generations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For a lot of fans, Hahn’s been the voice of the Sharks for their entire lives, helping to cultivate and nurture father-son bonds across the Bay Area for three generations.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve been watching Randy since I was a kid, with my dad,” said Mark Gavartin, a long-time Sharks fan who now works at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve been watching Randy since I was a kid, with my dad,” said Mark Gavartin, a long-time Sharks fan who now works at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Gavartin had 4-year-old twins of his own and began passing the team allegiance down the family line. Watching the dramatic first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights on TV, Gavartin relied on Hahn to transport the excitement unfolding in the arena back to him and his family on his living room couch. Years later, just thinking about Hahn calling that Game 7 overtime gave Gavartin goosebumps.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Gavartin had 4-year-old twins of his own and began passing the team allegiance down the family line. Watching the dramatic first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights on TV, Gavartin relied on Hahn to transport the excitement unfolding in the arena back to him and his family on his living room couch. Years later, just thinking about Hahn calling that Game 7 overtime gave Gavartin goosebumps.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We were so emotional,” he remembered. “With the Sharks and Randy Hahn, it was like we were all together on this. We were like buddies, watching the game together.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We were so emotional,” he remembered. “With the Sharks and Randy Hahn, it was like we were all together on this. We were like buddies, watching the game together.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn commentates during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108421\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn commentates during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as the Sharks advanced through the playoffs, then to the conference final, Gavartin noticed something strange: his buddy, Randy Hahn, was no longer behind the microphone calling the games. The national network wanted one of their own announcers to make the postseason calls. It was a voice Gavartin didn’t know.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But as the Sharks advanced through the playoffs, then to the conference final, Gavartin noticed something strange: his buddy, Randy Hahn, was no longer behind the microphone calling the games. The national network wanted one of their own announcers to make the postseason calls. It was a voice Gavartin didn’t know.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was not the same as listening to Randy Hahn,” he said. “It’s some other guy who was ‘meh, okay.’ Like, he didn’t go through what we went through.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was not the same as listening to Randy Hahn,” he said. “It’s some other guy who was ‘meh, okay.’ Like, he didn’t go through what we went through.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gavartin wondered what many fans across many teams have wondered over the years: why did his beloved announcer disappear from the airwaves right when the team hit the peak of success? The question is not unique to the NHL. The phenomenon occurs across all sports during the postseason. But to truly understand why national TV networks install their own announcers for the most high-profile games, it is important, first, to understand why that decision leaves so many fans feeling so bereft. The fans of Randy Hahn, and the generations-worth of love and loyalty they hold for him, offer the perfect case study to reveal the answer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gavartin wondered what many fans across many teams have wondered over the years: why did his beloved announcer disappear from the airwaves right when the team hit the peak of success? The question is not unique to the NHL. The phenomenon occurs across all sports during the postseason. But to truly understand why national TV networks install their own announcers for the most high-profile games, it is important, first, to understand why that decision leaves so many fans feeling so bereft. The fans of Randy Hahn, and the generations-worth of love and loyalty they hold for him, offer the perfect case study to reveal the answer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On game days, the ice rink at San José’s SAP Center, aka the Shark Tank, is full of teal-clad fans. After the 2019 playoffs, the Sharks entered a drought and spectatorship dwindled amid the teams’ losses. But since acquiring the teenage phenom Macklin Celebrini in 2024, attendance at home games is again respectable; last year they filled the arena to 93% capacity on average and had 22 sellouts. For the Sharks home game against the Chicago Blackhawks last spring, every fan milling by the hot dog and beer stands, young or old, knew Hahn and had something to say about what made him a living legend.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On game days, the ice rink at San José’s SAP Center, aka the Shark Tank, is full of teal-clad fans. After the 2019 playoffs, the Sharks entered a drought and spectatorship dwindled amid the teams’ losses. But since acquiring the teenage phenom Macklin Celebrini in 2024, attendance at home games is again respectable; last year they filled the arena to 93% capacity on average and had 22 sellouts. For the Sharks home game against the Chicago Blackhawks last spring, every fan milling by the hot dog and beer stands, young or old, knew Hahn and had something to say about what made him a living legend.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He’s a Sharks encyclopedia,” said Tristan Nickey, who grew up in San José, but now lives in Idaho where he watches Hahn call the games on ESPN+. “He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out, and it makes the whole game enjoyable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“He’s a Sharks encyclopedia,” said Tristan Nickey, who grew up in San José, but now lives in Idaho where he watches Hahn call the games on ESPN+. “He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out, and it makes the whole game enjoyable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For 18-year-old Mia Dimmock, who started watching hockey a few years ago after seeing a clip on TikTok, Hahn explains things in a way that makes the game accessible to newbies. He shares details about players that bring them to life. He’s at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For 18-year-old Mia Dimmock, who started watching hockey a few years ago after seeing a clip on TikTok, Hahn explains things in a way that makes the game accessible to newbies. He shares details about players that bring them to life. He’s at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108428\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fan watches the San José Sharks play the Vancouver Canucks on a television in the concourse at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108428\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fan watches the San José Sharks play the Vancouver Canucks on a television in the concourse at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He is that connection to the team that we need,” Dimmock said. “He is the team and the team is him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hahn calls home games from an open-air broadcast booth inside the arena – a narrow perch at the front of section 215 overlooking the ice. I crammed into a chair behind him and watched over his shoulder as he called the Sharks’ game vs. the Blackhawks, and I noticed what Dimmock noticed: while Hahn is calling the play-by-play, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc with historic context tucked in. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Currently, the leading man is Celebrini, now 20. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hahn calls home games from an open-air broadcast booth inside the arena – a narrow perch at the front of section 215 overlooking the ice. I crammed into a chair behind him and watched over his shoulder as he called the Sharks’ game vs. the Blackhawks, and I noticed what Dimmock noticed: while Hahn is calling the play-by-play, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc with historic context tucked in. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Currently, the leading man is Celebrini, now 20. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Macklin’s not the only child in the family,” Hahn told TV viewers during a lull in play. “His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck, and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in Vancouver and is starting to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. Watch out for RJ Celebrini.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Macklin’s not the only child in the family,” Hahn told TV viewers during a lull in play. “His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck, and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in Vancouver and is starting to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. Watch out for RJ Celebrini.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Equally interesting to what Hahn shares is what he doesn’t share. There are certain facts and details he holds back. If Hahn notices a player on the bus with a bag of ice on his ankle or his hand wrapped in a bandage, for example, he won’t say anything during a game.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There might be somebody on another team who knows that if that player has a sore left knee, ‘I’m gonna go after that knee,’” Hahn told me. “It’s pro sports; it’s cutthroat. People are playing for money.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So if a defensive player has a goal scored against him, Hahn won’t say he failed to make the right play because he’s injured, but he will shade his commentary differently; he’ll be less critical. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s our way of putting our arm around him, if you will,” Hahn said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s an inherent tension in this. Hahn works for NBC Sports Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster, and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance from his subjects. But that boundary can get murky, especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There’s an inherent tension in this. Hahn works for NBC Sports Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster, and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance from his subjects. But that boundary can get murky, especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He is the Sharks to me,” said Trevin Cholmondeley, a fan from Napa.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108394\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trevin Cholmondeley (left) grew up watching the Sharks and listening to Randy Hahn call games with his dad, Randy Cholmondeley (right). They attended a home game together at the SAP Center on April 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (April Dembosky/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108394\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trevin Cholmondeley (left) grew up watching the Sharks and listening to Randy Hahn call games with his dad, Randy Cholmondeley (right). They attended a home game together at the SAP Center on April 6, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (April Dembosky/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This tension hit a high point last December when the Sharks played the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period, two Penguins were sent to the penalty box and the Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This tension hit a high point last December when the Sharks played the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period, two Penguins were sent to the penalty box and the Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hahn is fond of saying that every hockey season is a “roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera,” and through the twists and turns of the third period in Pittsburgh, he seized the energy in the arena and transposed it back to fans watching at home. He built the suspense of each goal the Sharks scored in the next five minutes like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony. When the Sharks tied the game 5-5, then scored the winning goal in overtime, Hahn rallied the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hahn is fond of saying that every hockey season is a “roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera,” and through the twists and turns of the third period in Pittsburgh, he seized the energy in the arena and transposed it back to fans watching at home. He built the suspense of each goal the Sharks scored in the next five minutes like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony. When the Sharks tied the game 5-5, then scored the winning goal in overtime, Hahn rallied the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They scooooore!” he roared. “One of the most amazing comebacks in franchise history! Sharks win! I’m beside myself, and there’s tears in my eyes.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It was an expert, nuanced performance, on the ice and off. Hahn modulated his cadence and pitch to up the drama of each play, then added a strong dose of vulnerability, all to create what he later called “the theater of the moment.” He shouted in ecstasy to punctuate the win, then swiftly confessed to his TV audience that he was crying.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Afterward, Hahn texted a colleague and admitted that he was worried he’d gone too far at that game; perhaps he’d veered beyond his professional broadcasting boundaries and allowed himself to become overly emotional?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Afterward, Hahn texted a colleague and admitted that he was worried he’d gone too far at that game; perhaps he’d veered beyond his professional broadcasting boundaries and allowed himself to become overly emotional?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn writes notes during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108423\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn writes notes during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he’d struck the right balance. Coaches and players have to keep their heads in the game. They can’t lose their cool after every goal. Hahn seemed to surmise that part of his job is to express the emotions that the other men on the team can’t. Hahn does the feeling for them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he’d struck the right balance. Coaches and players have to keep their heads in the game. They can’t lose their cool after every goal. Hahn seemed to surmise that part of his job is to express the emotions that the other men on the team can’t. Hahn does the feeling for them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When something like that happens, it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process,” Hahn told the Sharks’ in-house podcaster Brodie Brazil. “To me, it was them saying, ‘you captured the way we felt even though we couldn’t show it.’ A head coach can’t show that; it just wouldn’t look right. But inside, you feel it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When something like that happens, it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process,” Hahn told the Sharks’ in-house podcaster Brodie Brazil. “To me, it was them saying, ‘you captured the way we felt even though we couldn’t show it.’ A head coach can’t show that; it just wouldn’t look right. But inside, you feel it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It was the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Hahn does the feeling for them, too. When Hahn teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It was the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Hahn does the feeling for them, too. When Hahn teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I felt what he was feeling,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Hahn got excited, so did Caleb Edwards.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Hearing his motivation and his excitement build just kind of pulsates through you as a fan,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Hahn screamed into his mic, Trevin Cholmondeley screamed back at the TV.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The dude lost his voice halfway through,” he said. “I think he understands the energy that’s in the clubhouse that we, as a fan, don’t get to experience. We can live, sort of, through him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. To Sharks fans, Randy Hahn is an emotional conduit, a medium, channeling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and fans. So when the playoffs come, and the local TV announcer gets deposed, replaced by a national announcer, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. To Sharks fans, Randy Hahn is an emotional conduit, a medium, channeling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and fans. So when the playoffs come, and the local TV announcer gets deposed, replaced by a national announcer, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It will suck,” said Edwards, echoing a chorus of complaints from fans who wish Hahn could announce those games, should they come to pass.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering, ‘Why, if my team makes the playoffs, can’t I get my local announcers? Why am I getting the national announcers?’” said Richard Deitsch, a sports journalist who has worked for Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC Radio in Canada. “By and large, the answer to these questions is the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering, ‘Why, if my team makes the playoffs, can’t I get my local announcers? Why am I getting the national announcers?’” said Richard Deitsch, a sports journalist who has worked for Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC Radio in Canada. “By and large, the answer to these questions is the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108418\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (right) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108418\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (right) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the Sharks first made the playoffs in 1994, local television announcers called every playoff game, through four rounds. But as national networks like ESPN and Fox got into the business of airing the Stanley Cup finals, and paid high rights fees for the privilege, they wanted exclusivity in return. While NBC Sports Bay Area, Hahn’s employer, aired the regular season games and early rounds of the playoffs, they no longer had the right to air the final series. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When networks negotiated the next contract, they wanted exclusivity of the final two rounds of the playoffs. And when ESPN and TNT signed their latest contract with the NHL – a seven-year deal for $600 million – they won exclusivity of the final three rounds of the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When networks negotiated the next contract, they wanted exclusivity of the final two rounds of the playoffs. And when ESPN and TNT signed their latest contract with the NHL – a seven-year deal for $600 million – they won exclusivity of the final three rounds of the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more national TV networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the Stanley Cup hockey finals; 20 million for the World Series; 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more national TV networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the Stanley Cup hockey finals; 20 million for the World Series; 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These are massive numbers, and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time,” Deitsch said. “It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These are massive numbers, and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time,” Deitsch said. “It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Americans may not agree on who should win, but they agree the game is worth watching. Across racial backgrounds, political affiliations, and religious beliefs, people can sit together in the same arena, or in front of one TV at a bar, and share the experience.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business,” said Deitsh, “because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not the only thing, left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business,” said Deitsh, “because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not the only thing, left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because so many different audiences are tuning in, including fans from both teams, the national networks are looking for neutrality and impartiality in their broadcasts. Hahn’s passion for the Sharks, or even simply his affiliation with the team, is seen as a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Because so many different audiences are tuning in, including fans from both teams, the national networks are looking for neutrality and impartiality in their broadcasts. Hahn’s passion for the Sharks, or even simply his affiliation with the team, is seen as a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a brutal reality for local announcers. To follow a team to the climax of the season, then be forced to turn the mic over to someone else. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s a brutal reality for local announcers. To follow a team to the climax of the season, then be forced to turn the mic over to someone else. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s like you go to this great movie, it’s unbelievably dramatic, you’re there, and literally seven minutes before the movie’s over, an usher asks you to leave,” Deitsch said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Hahn was in the stands at the Shark Tank, watching the game with all the other fans. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But fans at home wished he was in the broadcast booth, not realizing that what they most loved about Hahn was precisely what disqualified him from calling the finals. They want his partiality. They prefer his bias. And they’re not shy about it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But fans at home wished he was in the broadcast booth, not realizing that what they most loved about Hahn was precisely what disqualified him from calling the finals. They want his partiality. They prefer his bias. And they’re not shy about it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (left) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108419\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (left) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs,” said Trevin Cholmondeley. He wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs of the soap opera-infused roller coaster. “Every season’s a little microcosm of life, and not having someone like Hahn, or any team’s local announcer, on the big stage just brings the quality down for me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs,” said Trevin Cholmondeley. He wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs of the soap opera-infused roller coaster. “Every season’s a little microcosm of life, and not having someone like Hahn, or any team’s local announcer, on the big stage just brings the quality down for me.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last winter, after the Sharks’ stunning win over Pittsburgh, Hahn predicted the Sharks would make the playoffs, if not last season, when they just missed qualifying, then this season for sure.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Fans will be tuning in, ready for Randy Hahn to be their prophet, their guide, their buddy, through every twist and turn.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sounds of ice skating\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sounds of ice skating\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> The NHL season officially opened at the end of September and ice hockey fans around the country are hoping \u003cem>their\u003c/em> team will make it to the playoffs next spring. Fans are prone to believing \u003cem>their\u003c/em> players, their coaches, even their announcers are the best. For San Jose Sharks fans, that announcer is Randy Hahn. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> The NHL season officially opened at the end of September and ice hockey fans around the country are hoping \u003cem>their\u003c/em> team will make it to the playoffs next spring. Fans are prone to believing \u003cem>their\u003c/em> players, their coaches, even their announcers are the best. For San Jose Sharks fans, that announcer is Randy Hahn. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>The building’s come alive! Here’s Kane, Knight push, back for Burns, save, rebound!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>The building’s come alive! Here’s Kane, Knight push, back for Burns, save, rebound!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Fans still talk about Randy’s calls from the last time the Sharks made it to the playoffs – in 2019. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Fans still talk about Randy’s calls from the last time the Sharks made it to the playoffs – in 2019. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong> He’ll drop it back for Burns. Over to Couture. Scooore! They’ve done it. (Fade under earlier, starting here: They’ve come all the way back with a tie!\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong> He’ll drop it back for Burns. Over to Couture. Scooore! They’ve done it. (Fade under earlier, starting here: They’ve come all the way back with a tie!\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Longtime Sharks fan and Bay Curious listener Mark Gavartin remembers this game really well. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Longtime Sharks fan and Bay Curious listener Mark Gavartin remembers this game really well. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I listened to it many, many times.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I listened to it many, many times.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> He says just talking about it now, years later, still gives him goose bumps. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And then the Sharks won that game on overtime. And it was just like crazy. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And then the Sharks won that game on overtime. And it was just like crazy. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mark had four-year old twins at the time. So it was really hard to make it out to any of the games. He couldn’t sit in an arena with thousands of other fans riding the same emotional roller coaster together. Instead, he watched the games on TV and he relied on Randy to transport that excitement to his living room. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mark had four-year old twins at the time. So it was really hard to make it out to any of the games. He couldn’t sit in an arena with thousands of other fans riding the same emotional roller coaster together. Instead, he watched the games on TV and he relied on Randy to transport that excitement to his living room. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And we were so like emotional with the, you know the Sharks and the, and Randy Hahn. And we just like, you know, like we’re all like together on this. It’s like having buddies watching the game together.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And we were so like emotional with the, you know the Sharks and the, and Randy Hahn. And we just like, you know, like we’re all like together on this. It’s like having buddies watching the game together.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> But then something strange happened. As the Sharks advanced through the playoffs then to the conference final, fans no longer heard Randy Hahn behind the mic. The national network wanted one of \u003cem>their\u003c/em> announcers to call the games instead. A guy that Mark didn’t know.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> It was like not the same listening to Randy Hahn. It was just different. It was like like they didn’t go through what we went through. And now it’s like some other guy is like, eh, you know, like, okay. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> It was like not the same listening to Randy Hahn. It was just different. It was like like they didn’t go through what we went through. And now it’s like some other guy is like, eh, you know, like, okay. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> Why doesn’t Randy Hahn call the final rounds of the playoffs? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> And that made us wonder, why do fans care so much that he doesn’t?\u003cbr>\u003cbr>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This is Bay Curious, the show that answers listener questions about the San Francisco Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> And that made us wonder, why do fans care so much that he doesn’t?\u003cbr>\u003cbr>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This is Bay Curious, the show that answers listener questions about the San Francisco Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We asked KQED’s April Dembosky to introduce us to Randy Hahn and the fans who love him. Then explain why Randy disappears from the airwaves at the most critical moment in the season. Here’s April…\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There are a lot of things about Randy Hahn that make him stand out in the world of hockey announcers. But there’s one thing in particular. He’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since San Jose first established its team in 1991. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There are a lot of things about Randy Hahn that make him stand out in the world of hockey announcers. But there’s one thing in particular. He’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since San Jose first established its team in 1991. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For a lot of fans, Randy’s been the voice of the Sharks for their entire lives. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> He IS the Sharks to me. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> He IS the Sharks to me. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kenneth:\u003c/strong> Just living legend. I’ve been listening to him since I was a kid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kenneth:\u003c/strong> Just living legend. I’ve been listening to him since I was a kid. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark:\u003c/strong> I’ve been watching since I was a kid with my dad. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> Randy’s a part of my life since I was a baby.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is so iconic, Pixar filmmakers asked him to do a cameo in the movie Inside Out. Riley’s dad is caught daydreaming about a hockey game when his wife is trying to talk to him.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is so iconic, Pixar filmmakers asked him to do a cameo in the movie Inside Out. Riley’s dad is caught daydreaming about a hockey game when his wife is trying to talk to him.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Inside Out\u003c/em>\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>clip: Sound of hockey game announcing. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Inside Out\u003c/em>\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>clip: Sound of hockey game announcing. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sounds of Sharks arena\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sounds of Sharks arena\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last spring I went to see the Sharks play the Chicago Blackhawks at the SAP center, aka, the Shark tank. And every fan I talked to … \u003cem>knew\u003c/em> Randy and had something to say about why they loved him.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last spring I went to see the Sharks play the Chicago Blackhawks at the SAP center, aka, the Shark tank. And every fan I talked to … \u003cem>knew\u003c/em> Randy and had something to say about why they loved him.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s a Sharks encyclopedia.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s a Sharks encyclopedia.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Tristan Nickey is from San Jose but lives in Idaho now. He watches all the Sharks games on ESPN plus where he has the choice to select Randy as his announcer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Tristan Nickey is from San Jose but lives in Idaho now. He watches all the Sharks games on ESPN plus where he has the choice to select Randy as his announcer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out and it makes the whole game enjoyable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out and it makes the whole game enjoyable. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I feel like he’s a through on through Sharks man.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I feel like he’s a through on through Sharks man.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Eighteen year old Mia Dimmock started watching hockey a few years ago, after she saw a clip on TikTok. She says Randy has a way of explaining things that makes the game accessible to newbies like her.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Eighteen year old Mia Dimmock started watching hockey a few years ago, after she saw a clip on TikTok. She says Randy has a way of explaining things that makes the game accessible to newbies like her.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He has a way of introducing the fans to the players more and giving them an experience where then we feel more connected to the players as a whole. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He has a way of introducing the fans to the players more and giving them an experience where then we feel more connected to the players as a whole. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He is the team and the team is him. He is that connection to the team that we need. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He is the team and the team is him. He is that connection to the team that we need. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>\u003cem>\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>Let’s see if the Sharks can get some mojo going here in the second period. Will Smith with the puck, drops it for Macklin… \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>\u003cem>\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>Let’s see if the Sharks can get some mojo going here in the second period. Will Smith with the puck, drops it for Macklin… \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I got to see Randy in action when he called the game against the Blackhawks. I sat behind him, crammed into his open-air broadcast booth in the arena. It’s at the front of section 215. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I got to see Randy in action when he called the game against the Blackhawks. I sat behind him, crammed into his open-air broadcast booth in the arena. It’s at the front of section 215. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And I noticed what Mia noticed: while Randy is calling the play by play of the games, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Right now, the leading man is 20-year old phenom Macklin Celebrini. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And I noticed what Mia noticed: while Randy is calling the play by play of the games, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Right now, the leading man is 20-year old phenom Macklin Celebrini. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> Macklin’s not the only child in the family. His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in northshore winter club up in Vancouver is started to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> Macklin’s not the only child in the family. His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in northshore winter club up in Vancouver is started to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When I talked to Randy outside the Shark tank, he explained that there are also certain details he holds back. The guys often play through injuries, but don’t want their opponents to know.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When I talked to Randy outside the Shark tank, he explained that there are also certain details he holds back. The guys often play through injuries, but don’t want their opponents to know.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> There might be somebody on another team who knows that if that player has a sore left knee, I’m gonna go after that knee. It’s pro sports, it’s cutthroat. People are playing for money. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> There might be somebody on another team who knows that if that player has a sore left knee, I’m gonna go after that knee. It’s pro sports, it’s cutthroat. People are playing for money. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> If Randy notices a player on the bus with a bag of ice on his ankle or his hand wrapped in a bandage, he won’t say anything during a game, but he’ll shade his commentary differently; he’ll be less critical.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> If Randy notices a player on the bus with a bag of ice on his ankle or his hand wrapped in a bandage, he won’t say anything during a game, but he’ll shade his commentary differently; he’ll be less critical.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> He might have a goal scored against him and be unable to make a defensive play but I know, you know what? That guy’s toughing it out. And \u003cem>the fans don’t know it and he’s not saying anything about it and we aren’t either, but\u003c/em> it’s our way of putting our arm around him, if you will.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> He might have a goal scored against him and be unable to make a defensive play but I know, you know what? That guy’s toughing it out. And \u003cem>the fans don’t know it and he’s not saying anything about it and we aren’t either, but\u003c/em> it’s our way of putting our arm around him, if you will.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There’s an inherent tension in this. Randy works for NBC Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance. But that boundary can get murky. Especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There’s an inherent tension in this. Randy works for NBC Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance. But that boundary can get murky. Especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Arena sounds\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Arena sounds\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Technically, he’s not part of the team, but Sharks fans absolutely see him that way.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Technically, he’s not part of the team, but Sharks fans absolutely see him that way.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> Oh my god! That was so cool. Oh my God.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> Oh my god! That was so cool. Oh my God.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I caught up with Emma Daniels right after she visited Randy in his broadcast booth and fans line up here in between periods to meet him.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I caught up with Emma Daniels right after she visited Randy in his broadcast booth and fans line up here in between periods to meet him.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m such a big fan of him and he’s been so welcoming toward new fans. Oh my gosh. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m such a big fan of him and he’s been so welcoming toward new fans. Oh my gosh. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> She got to take a picture with him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> She got to take a picture with him. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m shaking. That was more exciting than the players. I met Randy Hahn!\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m shaking. That was more exciting than the players. I met Randy Hahn!\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> What Emma loves most about Randy is the feeling that he’s on her side. For her, and a bunch of fans, there was one game last season where Randy was \u003cem>so in it.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> What Emma loves most about Randy is the feeling that he’s on her side. For her, and a bunch of fans, there was one game last season where Randy was \u003cem>so in it.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> There was that game against the Penguins, the clips of him yelling in that game are so amazing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> There was that game against the Penguins, the clips of him yelling in that game are so amazing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> With every goal, the energy in his voice built \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> With every goal, the energy in his voice built \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> The dude lost his voice halfway through, I don’t think he could believe what he was seeing on the ice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> The dude lost his voice halfway through, I don’t think he could believe what he was seeing on the ice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It was December 2025. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period TWO Penguins were sent to the penalty box. The Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It was December 2025. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period TWO Penguins were sent to the penalty box. The Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Listen to the way Randy builds the tension. It’s like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Listen to the way Randy builds the tension. It’s like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing condensed:\u003c/strong> The Sharks with a power play goal, and it’s 5-2. Off the scramble, and it’s 5-3! The Sharks clawing their way back into this game. It’s 5-4! Save, rebound. They score! They score! The Sharks have tied it up! Unbelievable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing condensed:\u003c/strong> The Sharks with a power play goal, and it’s 5-2. Off the scramble, and it’s 5-3! The Sharks clawing their way back into this game. It’s 5-4! Save, rebound. They score! They score! The Sharks have tied it up! Unbelievable. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The TV cameras pan the crowd, Penguins fans suddenly looking very tired and very nervous, biting their nails, folding their hands in prayer. The game goes into sudden death overtime. And soon enough Randy is rallying the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The TV cameras pan the crowd, Penguins fans suddenly looking very tired and very nervous, biting their nails, folding their hands in prayer. The game goes into sudden death overtime. And soon enough Randy is rallying the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn annoucing:\u003c/strong> They score! One of the most amazing comebacks in franchise history! Sharks win! I’m beside myself and there’s tears in my eyes, my friend. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He later told the Sharks’ in-house podcaster Brodie Brazil that he’s creating “the theater of the moment.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> If it sounded like I was getting a little more excited with every goal, that was happening organically, yes, but it’s also part of years of doing this job. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy shouts in ecstasy in one moment then confesses to his TV audience that he’s crying.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brodie Brazil:\u003c/strong> And you said afterwards, ‘I was a little worried, I got very emotional, I don’t know what happened.’ And that got me thinking, why did you get emotional? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brodie Brazil:\u003c/strong> And you said afterwards, ‘I was a little worried, I got very emotional, I don’t know what happened.’ And that got me thinking, why did you get emotional? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I, I don’t. I still am not sure.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy wondered if he’d veered too far beyond his professional boundaries at that game…if he got \u003cem>too\u003c/em> emotional. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he got it right. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he got it right. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> When something like that happens it is it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process and to me it was them saying you captured the way we felt even though we maybe couldn’t show it like a head coach can’t show that, it just wouldn’t look right, right? But inside you feel it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> When something like that happens it is it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process and to me it was them saying you captured the way we felt even though we maybe couldn’t show it like a head coach can’t show that, it just wouldn’t look right, right? But inside you feel it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Coaches and players have to keep their heads in the game. They can’t lose their cool after every goal. Randy seems to understand that part of his job is to express the emotions that the other men on the team can’t. Randy does the feeling for them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I go into every season with the same expectation, no matter what the roster, the season from start to finish will be a roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I go into every season with the same expectation, no matter what the roster, the season from start to finish will be a roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It’s the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Randy does the feeling for them, too. When Randy teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It’s the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Randy does the feeling for them, too. When Randy teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> Like I felt it, I was watching the game. And it was absolutely incredible and I felt what he was feeling. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> Like I felt it, I was watching the game. And it was absolutely incredible and I felt what he was feeling. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy got excited, so did Caleb Edwards.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy got excited, so did Caleb Edwards.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> Hearing his motivation and his excitement build just kind of pulsates through you as a fan. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> Hearing his motivation and his excitement build just kind of pulsates through you as a fan. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy screamed into his mic, Trevin Cholmondeley screamed back at the TV.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy screamed into his mic, Trevin Cholmondeley screamed back at the TV.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> I think he understands the energy that’s in the clubhouse that we as fans don’t get to experience and I think we can live sort of through him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> I think he understands the energy that’s in the clubhouse that we as fans don’t get to experience and I think we can live sort of through him. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So you can see why Randy’s fans are so \u003cem>attached\u003c/em> to him. He’s an emotional conduit. An emotional medium. Funneling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and the fans. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So you can see why Randy’s fans are so \u003cem>attached\u003c/em> to him. He’s an emotional conduit. An emotional medium. Funneling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and the fans. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Maybe now it makes sense why fans get so upset at the prospect of their beloved local announcer getting replaced when the team advances through the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Maybe now it makes sense why fans get so upset at the prospect of their beloved local announcer getting replaced when the team advances through the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> We’ve got to take a quick break, but when we come back we’ll find out why that happens. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> We’ve got to take a quick break, but when we come back we’ll find out why that happens. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sponsor messages\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sponsor messages\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Okay, so it’s clear that Sharks fans love Randy Hahn. But if the team makes it into the later rounds of the playoffs this season, we won’t be hearing him on air anymore. April Dembosky explains why… \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Okay, so it’s clear that Sharks fans love Randy Hahn. But if the team makes it into the later rounds of the playoffs this season, we won’t be hearing him on air anymore. April Dembosky explains why… \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. So when the playoffs come and the TV announcer gets deposed, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. So when the playoffs come and the TV announcer gets deposed, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> It will suck. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> It will suck. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy C:\u003c/strong> That’s what’s a bummer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy C:\u003c/strong> That’s what’s a bummer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> That’s a disappointment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> That’s a disappointment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I wish it was a local announcer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I wish it was a local announcer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I think we should petition to get Randy on that board. We need him calling the games.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I think we should petition to get Randy on that board. We need him calling the games.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So why do local announcers get sidelined right when their team hits the peak of success? Randy Hahn has been around long enough to see how this evolved.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So why do local announcers get sidelined right when their team hits the peak of success? Randy Hahn has been around long enough to see how this evolved.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Way back in the early days of the Sharks, in 1994 when they first made the playoffs, local television was allowed to do every playoff game through four rounds. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Way back in the early days of the Sharks, in 1994 when they first made the playoffs, local television was allowed to do every playoff game through four rounds. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But as national networks like ESPN and Fox got into the business of airing the finals, they didn’t want to share the stage with the local stations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But as national networks like ESPN and Fox got into the business of airing the finals, they didn’t want to share the stage with the local stations.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> As network television contracts were negotiated and high rights fees were paid by those networks, they started to claw back and said we want exclusivity of the Stanley Cup finals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> As network television contracts were negotiated and high rights fees were paid by those networks, they started to claw back and said we want exclusivity of the Stanley Cup finals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But it didn’t stop there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But it didn’t stop there. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Then when the next contract rolled around, we want exclusivity of the final two rounds and then eventually the final three rounds, which is where we sit now. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Then when the next contract rolled around, we want exclusivity of the final two rounds and then eventually the final three rounds, which is where we sit now. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The NHL signed its latest national TV contract in 2021 – a seven year-deal with ESPN and TNT for $600 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The NHL signed its latest national TV contract in 2021 – a seven year-deal with ESPN and TNT for $600 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Richard Deitsch has been a sports reporter and editor for two decades, at Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC radio in Canada. He says these exclusive contracts exist for all sports.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Richard Deitsch has been a sports reporter and editor for two decades, at Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC radio in Canada. He says these exclusive contracts exist for all sports.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering why, if my team makes the playoffs, can I get my local announcers and why am I getting the national announcers? And by and large, the answer to these questions are the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering why, if my team makes the playoffs, can I get my local announcers and why am I getting the national announcers? And by and large, the answer to these questions are the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the hockey finals. 20 million for the World Series. 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the hockey finals. 20 million for the World Series. 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> These are massive numbers and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time. It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> These are massive numbers and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time. It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> They may not agree on who should win, but they agree the game is worth watching. Across racial backgrounds, political affiliations, and religious beliefs, people can sit together in the same arena, or in front of one TV at a bar, and share the experience.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> They may not agree on who should win, but they agree the game is worth watching. Across racial backgrounds, political affiliations, and religious beliefs, people can sit together in the same arena, or in front of one TV at a bar, and share the experience.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business, is because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not only things left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business, is because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not only things left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Deitsch says, on a national broadcast, Randy Hahn’s passion for the Sharks could be a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Deitsch says, on a national broadcast, Randy Hahn’s passion for the Sharks could be a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> They want to at least come off as impartial as possible. There’s got to be neutrality here because they know that there’s different fans tuning in.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> They want to at least come off as impartial as possible. There’s got to be neutrality here because they know that there’s different fans tuning in.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So what the fans love most about Randy is precisely what disqualifies him from calling the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a brutal reality for local announcers. To follow a team to the climax of the season, then be forced to turn the mic over to someone else. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It’s like you go to this great movie, it’s unbelievably dramatic, you’re there, and literally seven minutes before the movie’s over, an usher asks you to leave. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It’s like you go to this great movie, it’s unbelievably dramatic, you’re there, and literally seven minutes before the movie’s over, an usher asks you to leave. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Well obviously I don’t like it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy Hahn thinks there should be a middle ground. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I would prefer to be doing games, and I think fans would love the option of being able to have a choice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I would prefer to be doing games, and I think fans would love the option of being able to have a choice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Randy was in the stands at the Shark tank, watching the game with all the other fans. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Randy was in the stands at the Shark tank, watching the game with all the other fans. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But fans at home wished he was in the broadcast booth. They want his partiality. They prefer his bias. And they’re not shy about it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>\u003c/em>I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>\u003c/em>I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Trevin Cholmondeley says he wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Trevin Cholmondeley says he wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> Every season’s a little microcosm of life, really, and not having someone like Randy or any team’s local announcer on the big stage. Just brings the quality down for me. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> Every season’s a little microcosm of life, really, and not having someone like Randy or any team’s local announcer on the big stage. Just brings the quality down for me. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sports have always been tribal. Super fans often see their team as an extension of their own identity. And because of that, they have higher self-esteem and lower levels of loneliness.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sports have always been tribal. Super fans often see their team as an extension of their own identity. And because of that, they have higher self-esteem and lower levels of loneliness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Research shows sports provide structure and routine and meaning. They fulfill our need to belong. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Research shows sports provide structure and routine and meaning. They fulfill our need to belong. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even when it comes to commiserating over Randy not calling the playoffs – there’s community in that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even when it comes to commiserating over Randy not calling the playoffs – there’s community in that.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I was very pleasantly surprised I’m not the only one who’s feeling that way. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I was very pleasantly surprised I’m not the only one who’s feeling that way. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> That’s what our question-asker Mark Gavartin took away from all this. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> That’s what our question-asker Mark Gavartin took away from all this. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> This is \u003cem>our\u003c/em> team. We live here. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> This is \u003cem>our\u003c/em> team. We live here. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last winter, Randy Hahn predicted the Sharks would make the playoffs, if not last season, then this season for sure. Mark wants Randy to be his prophet, his guide, his buddy, through it all… \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last winter, Randy Hahn predicted the Sharks would make the playoffs, if not last season, then this season for sure. Mark wants Randy to be his prophet, his guide, his buddy, through it all… \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And see Randy announce, ‘Hey, the Sharks won the Stanley Cup.’ \u003cem>It hasn’t happened yet, but\u003c/em> wouldn’t that be amazing? Like, to hear his voice saying that? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And see Randy announce, ‘Hey, the Sharks won the Stanley Cup.’ \u003cem>It hasn’t happened yet, but\u003c/em> wouldn’t that be amazing? Like, to hear his voice saying that? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But even if the Sharks do win the title, that won’t happen. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But even if the Sharks do win the title, that won’t happen. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> That was KQED health correspondent April Dembosky.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> That was KQED health correspondent April Dembosky.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Big thanks to Mark Gavartin for submitting this week’s question, and to the many KQED members whose support make our reporting possible. Are you a KQED member? Become one today at \u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/podcasts\">donate.kqed.org/podcasts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Big thanks to Mark Gavartin for submitting this week’s question, and to the many KQED members whose support make our reporting possible. Are you a KQED member? Become one today at \u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/podcasts\">donate.kqed.org/podcasts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made in SF at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by\u003cbr>Katrina Schwarts, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, and me, Olivia Allen Price. With extra support from Maha Sanad, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made in SF at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by\u003cbr>Katrina Schwarts, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, and me, Olivia Allen Price. With extra support from Maha Sanad, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a wonderful week. And go Sharks!\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a wonderful week. And go Sharks!\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "For Sharks fans, Randy Hahn is the soul of the team. But why doesn’t he call the playoff games?",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003cem>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of all the things that make Randy Hahn stand out in the world of ice hockey announcers, there is one fact of his career that rises above the rest: he’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose-sharks\">San José Sharks\u003c/a> were first established in 1991. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a lot of fans, Hahn’s been the voice of the Sharks for their entire lives, helping to cultivate and nurture father-son bonds across the Bay Area for three generations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’ve been watching Randy since I was a kid, with my dad,” said Mark Gavartin, a long-time Sharks fan who now works at Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Gavartin had 4-year-old twins of his own and began passing the team allegiance down the family line. Watching the dramatic first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights on TV, Gavartin relied on Hahn to transport the excitement unfolding in the arena back to him and his family on his living room couch. Years later, just thinking about Hahn calling that Game 7 overtime gave Gavartin goosebumps.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We were so emotional,” he remembered. “With the Sharks and Randy Hahn, it was like we were all together on this. We were like buddies, watching the game together.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-18-KQED-bc7914c7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn commentates during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But as the Sharks advanced through the playoffs, then to the conference final, Gavartin noticed something strange: his buddy, Randy Hahn, was no longer behind the microphone calling the games. The national network wanted one of their own announcers to make the postseason calls. It was a voice Gavartin didn’t know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was not the same as listening to Randy Hahn,” he said. “It’s some other guy who was ‘meh, okay.’ Like, he didn’t go through what we went through.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gavartin wondered what many fans across many teams have wondered over the years: why did his beloved announcer disappear from the airwaves right when the team hit the peak of success? The question is not unique to the NHL. The phenomenon occurs across all sports during the postseason. But to truly understand why national TV networks install their own announcers for the most high-profile games, it is important, first, to understand why that decision leaves so many fans feeling so bereft. The fans of Randy Hahn, and the generations-worth of love and loyalty they hold for him, offer the perfect case study to reveal the answer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘A roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On game days, the ice rink at San José’s SAP Center, aka the Shark Tank, is full of teal-clad fans. After the 2019 playoffs, the Sharks entered a drought and spectatorship dwindled amid the teams’ losses. But since acquiring the teenage phenom Macklin Celebrini in 2024, attendance at home games is again respectable; last year they filled the arena to 93% capacity on average and had 22 sellouts. For the Sharks home game against the Chicago Blackhawks last spring, every fan milling by the hot dog and beer stands, young or old, knew Hahn and had something to say about what made him a living legend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He’s a Sharks encyclopedia,” said Tristan Nickey, who grew up in San José, but now lives in Idaho where he watches Hahn call the games on ESPN+. “He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out, and it makes the whole game enjoyable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For 18-year-old Mia Dimmock, who started watching hockey a few years ago after seeing a clip on TikTok, Hahn explains things in a way that makes the game accessible to newbies. He shares details about players that bring them to life. He’s at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108428\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-19_qed-c309dc03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fan watches the San José Sharks play the Vancouver Canucks on a television in the concourse at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He is that connection to the team that we need,” Dimmock said. “He is the team and the team is him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hahn calls home games from an open-air broadcast booth inside the arena – a narrow perch at the front of section 215 overlooking the ice. I crammed into a chair behind him and watched over his shoulder as he called the Sharks’ game vs. the Blackhawks, and I noticed what Dimmock noticed: while Hahn is calling the play-by-play, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc with historic context tucked in. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Currently, the leading man is Celebrini, now 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Macklin’s not the only child in the family,” Hahn told TV viewers during a lull in play. “His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck, and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in Vancouver and is starting to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. Watch out for RJ Celebrini.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Equally interesting to what Hahn shares is what he doesn’t share. There are certain facts and details he holds back. If Hahn notices a player on the bus with a bag of ice on his ankle or his hand wrapped in a bandage, for example, he won’t say anything during a game.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108420\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-17-KQED-0fec1fc7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn and color commentator Drew Remenda meet fans in between periods of the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There might be somebody on another team who knows that if that player has a sore left knee, ‘I’m gonna go after that knee,’” Hahn told me. “It’s pro sports; it’s cutthroat. People are playing for money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if a defensive player has a goal scored against him, Hahn won’t say he failed to make the right play because he’s injured, but he will shade his commentary differently; he’ll be less critical. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s our way of putting our arm around him, if you will,” Hahn said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There’s an inherent tension in this. Hahn works for NBC Sports Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster, and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance from his subjects. But that boundary can get murky, especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technically, he’s not part of the team, but fans absolutely see him that way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He is the Sharks to me,” said Trevin Cholmondeley, a fan from Napa.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108394\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261104-RANDY-HAHN-AD-01-KQED-1-11c8b8bc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trevin Cholmondeley (left) grew up watching the Sharks and listening to Randy Hahn call games with his dad, Randy Cholmondeley (right). They attended a home game together at the SAP Center on April 6, 2026. (April Dembosky/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This tension hit a high point last December when the Sharks played the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period, two Penguins were sent to the penalty box and the Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hahn is fond of saying that every hockey season is a “roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera,” and through the twists and turns of the third period in Pittsburgh, he seized the energy in the arena and transposed it back to fans watching at home. He built the suspense of each goal the Sharks scored in the next five minutes like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony. When the Sharks tied the game 5-5, then scored the winning goal in overtime, Hahn rallied the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They scooooore!” he roared. “One of the most amazing comebacks in franchise history! Sharks win! I’m beside myself, and there’s tears in my eyes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was an expert, nuanced performance, on the ice and off. Hahn modulated his cadence and pitch to up the drama of each play, then added a strong dose of vulnerability, all to create what he later called “the theater of the moment.” He shouted in ecstasy to punctuate the win, then swiftly confessed to his TV audience that he was crying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Afterward, Hahn texted a colleague and admitted that he was worried he’d gone too far at that game; perhaps he’d veered beyond his professional broadcasting boundaries and allowed himself to become overly emotional?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RandyHahn-NG-16_qed-ec983e89-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn writes notes during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he’d struck the right balance. Coaches and players have to keep their heads in the game. They can’t lose their cool after every goal. Hahn seemed to surmise that part of his job is to express the emotions that the other men on the team can’t. Hahn does the feeling for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When something like that happens, it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process,” Hahn told the Sharks’ in-house podcaster Brodie Brazil. “To me, it was them saying, ‘you captured the way we felt even though we couldn’t show it.’ A head coach can’t show that; it just wouldn’t look right. But inside, you feel it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Hahn does the feeling for them, too. When Hahn teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I felt what he was feeling,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Hahn got excited, so did Caleb Edwards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Hearing his motivation and his excitement build just kind of pulsates through you as a fan,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Hahn screamed into his mic, Trevin Cholmondeley screamed back at the TV.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The dude lost his voice halfway through,” he said. “I think he understands the energy that’s in the clubhouse that we, as a fan, don’t get to experience. We can live, sort of, through him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do local announcers get sidelined during the playoffs?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. To Sharks fans, Randy Hahn is an emotional conduit, a medium, channeling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and fans. So when the playoffs come, and the local TV announcer gets deposed, replaced by a national announcer, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It will suck,” said Edwards, echoing a chorus of complaints from fans who wish Hahn could announce those games, should they come to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering, ‘Why, if my team makes the playoffs, can’t I get my local announcers? Why am I getting the national announcers?’” said Richard Deitsch, a sports journalist who has worked for Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC Radio in Canada. “By and large, the answer to these questions is the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108418\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-13-KQED-0b225393-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (right) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Sharks first made the playoffs in 1994, local television announcers called every playoff game, through four rounds. But as national networks like ESPN and Fox got into the business of airing the Stanley Cup finals, and paid high rights fees for the privilege, they wanted exclusivity in return. While NBC Sports Bay Area, Hahn’s employer, aired the regular season games and early rounds of the playoffs, they no longer had the right to air the final series. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When networks negotiated the next contract, they wanted exclusivity of the final two rounds of the playoffs. And when ESPN and TNT signed their latest contract with the NHL – a seven-year deal for $600 million – they won exclusivity of the final three rounds of the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more national TV networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the Stanley Cup hockey finals; 20 million for the World Series; 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“These are massive numbers, and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time,” Deitsch said. “It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans may not agree on who should win, but they agree the game is worth watching. Across racial backgrounds, political affiliations, and religious beliefs, people can sit together in the same arena, or in front of one TV at a bar, and share the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business,” said Deitsh, “because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not the only thing, left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because so many different audiences are tuning in, including fans from both teams, the national networks are looking for neutrality and impartiality in their broadcasts. Hahn’s passion for the Sharks, or even simply his affiliation with the team, is seen as a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a brutal reality for local announcers. To follow a team to the climax of the season, then be forced to turn the mic over to someone else. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s like you go to this great movie, it’s unbelievably dramatic, you’re there, and literally seven minutes before the movie’s over, an usher asks you to leave,” Deitsch said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Hahn was in the stands at the Shark Tank, watching the game with all the other fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But fans at home wished he was in the broadcast booth, not realizing that what they most loved about Hahn was precisely what disqualified him from calling the finals. They want his partiality. They prefer his bias. And they’re not shy about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12108419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/261029-RANDYHAHN-NG-15-KQED-43b5add7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn (left) commentates with color commentator Drew Remenda during the San José Sharks game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center in San José on Oct. 29, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs,” said Trevin Cholmondeley. He wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs of the soap opera-infused roller coaster. “Every season’s a little microcosm of life, and not having someone like Hahn, or any team’s local announcer, on the big stage just brings the quality down for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last winter, after the Sharks’ stunning win over Pittsburgh, Hahn predicted the Sharks would make the playoffs, if not last season, when they just missed qualifying, then this season for sure.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Fans will be tuning in, ready for Randy Hahn to be their prophet, their guide, their buddy, through every twist and turn.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sounds of ice skating\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> The NHL season officially opened at the end of September and ice hockey fans around the country are hoping \u003cem>their\u003c/em> team will make it to the playoffs next spring. Fans are prone to believing \u003cem>their\u003c/em> players, their coaches, even their announcers are the best. For San Jose Sharks fans, that announcer is Randy Hahn. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong>The building’s come alive! Here’s Kane, Knight push, back for Burns, save, rebound!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Fans still talk about Randy’s calls from the last time the Sharks made it to the playoffs – in 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>:\u003c/strong> He’ll drop it back for Burns. Over to Couture. Scooore! They’ve done it. (Fade under earlier, starting here: They’ve come all the way back with a tie!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Longtime Sharks fan and Bay Curious listener Mark Gavartin remembers this game really well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I listened to it many, many times.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> He says just talking about it now, years later, still gives him goose bumps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And then the Sharks won that game on overtime. And it was just like crazy. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Mark had four-year old twins at the time. So it was really hard to make it out to any of the games. He couldn’t sit in an arena with thousands of other fans riding the same emotional roller coaster together. Instead, he watched the games on TV and he relied on Randy to transport that excitement to his living room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And we were so like emotional with the, you know the Sharks and the, and Randy Hahn. And we just like, you know, like we’re all like together on this. It’s like having buddies watching the game together.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> But then something strange happened. As the Sharks advanced through the playoffs then to the conference final, fans no longer heard Randy Hahn behind the mic. The national network wanted one of \u003cem>their\u003c/em> announcers to call the games instead. A guy that Mark didn’t know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> It was like not the same listening to Randy Hahn. It was just different. It was like like they didn’t go through what we went through. And now it’s like some other guy is like, eh, you know, like, okay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> And that made Mark wonder: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> Why doesn’t Randy Hahn call the final rounds of the playoffs? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> And that made us wonder, why do fans care so much that he doesn’t?\u003cbr>\u003cbr>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This is Bay Curious, the show that answers listener questions about the San Francisco Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked KQED’s April Dembosky to introduce us to Randy Hahn and the fans who love him. Then explain why Randy disappears from the airwaves at the most critical moment in the season. Here’s April…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There are a lot of things about Randy Hahn that make him stand out in the world of hockey announcers. But there’s one thing in particular. He’s been calling games for the same team for 35 years, ever since San Jose first established its team in 1991. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a lot of fans, Randy’s been the voice of the Sharks for their entire lives. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> He IS the Sharks to me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Kenneth:\u003c/strong> Just living legend. I’ve been listening to him since I was a kid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark:\u003c/strong> I’ve been watching since I was a kid with my dad. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> Randy’s a part of my life since I was a baby.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is so iconic, Pixar filmmakers asked him to do a cameo in the movie Inside Out. Riley’s dad is caught daydreaming about a hockey game when his wife is trying to talk to him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Inside Out\u003c/em>\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>clip: Sound of hockey game announcing. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sounds of Sharks arena\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last spring I went to see the Sharks play the Chicago Blackhawks at the SAP center, aka, the Shark tank. And every fan I talked to … \u003cem>knew\u003c/em> Randy and had something to say about why they loved him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s a Sharks encyclopedia.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Tristan Nickey is from San Jose but lives in Idaho now. He watches all the Sharks games on ESPN plus where he has the choice to select Randy as his announcer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> He’s got all these stats that he’s always giving out and it makes the whole game enjoyable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I feel like he’s a through on through Sharks man.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Eighteen year old Mia Dimmock started watching hockey a few years ago, after she saw a clip on TikTok. She says Randy has a way of explaining things that makes the game accessible to newbies like her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He has a way of introducing the fans to the players more and giving them an experience where then we feel more connected to the players as a whole. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is at every home game and every away game. He’s on the same buses and planes as the team, in the same hotels. He’s at the practice rink, in the weight room. He sees and hears a lot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> He is the team and the team is him. He is that connection to the team that we need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> \u003cstrong>\u003cem>\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>Let’s see if the Sharks can get some mojo going here in the second period. Will Smith with the puck, drops it for Macklin… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I got to see Randy in action when he called the game against the Blackhawks. I sat behind him, crammed into his open-air broadcast booth in the arena. It’s at the front of section 215. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I noticed what Mia noticed: while Randy is calling the play by play of the games, he’s also telling a story. He gives each game a dramatic arc. He turns the players into characters who drive the plot. Right now, the leading man is 20-year old phenom Macklin Celebrini. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing:\u003c/strong> Macklin’s not the only child in the family. His older brother Aiden is a Vancouver Canuck and his youngest brother RJ, he’s 13 playing up in northshore winter club up in Vancouver is started to challenge some of Macklin’s records that Macklin established there when he was that age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When I talked to Randy outside the Shark tank, he explained that there are also certain details he holds back. The guys often play through injuries, but don’t want their opponents to know.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> There might be somebody on another team who knows that if that player has a sore left knee, I’m gonna go after that knee. It’s pro sports, it’s cutthroat. People are playing for money. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> If Randy notices a player on the bus with a bag of ice on his ankle or his hand wrapped in a bandage, he won’t say anything during a game, but he’ll shade his commentary differently; he’ll be less critical.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> He might have a goal scored against him and be unable to make a defensive play but I know, you know what? That guy’s toughing it out. And \u003cem>the fans don’t know it and he’s not saying anything about it and we aren’t either, but\u003c/em> it’s our way of putting our arm around him, if you will.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> There’s an inherent tension in this. Randy works for NBC Bay Area, the local TV station, not the Sharks. He’s first and foremost a broadcaster and he’s supposed to maintain some level of professional distance. But that boundary can get murky. Especially in light of how much time he spends with the players. Sometimes he catches himself referring to the team as “we,” as in, “we won.” Then he corrects himself: “they won.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Arena sounds\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Technically, he’s not part of the team, but Sharks fans absolutely see him that way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> Oh my god! That was so cool. Oh my God.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> I caught up with Emma Daniels right after she visited Randy in his broadcast booth and fans line up here in between periods to meet him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m such a big fan of him and he’s been so welcoming toward new fans. Oh my gosh. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> She got to take a picture with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I’m shaking. That was more exciting than the players. I met Randy Hahn!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> What Emma loves most about Randy is the feeling that he’s on her side. For her, and a bunch of fans, there was one game last season where Randy was \u003cem>so in it.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> There was that game against the Penguins, the clips of him yelling in that game are so amazing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> With every goal, the energy in his voice built \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin:\u003c/strong> The dude lost his voice halfway through, I don’t think he could believe what he was seeing on the ice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It was December 2025. The Sharks season had started off slow with a lot of losses. They were losing the game to Pittsburgh, 5 to 1. Then halfway through the third period TWO Penguins were sent to the penalty box. The Sharks seized the moment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Listen to the way Randy builds the tension. It’s like a crescendo in a Beethoven symphony.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn announcing condensed:\u003c/strong> The Sharks with a power play goal, and it’s 5-2. Off the scramble, and it’s 5-3! The Sharks clawing their way back into this game. It’s 5-4! Save, rebound. They score! They score! The Sharks have tied it up! Unbelievable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The TV cameras pan the crowd, Penguins fans suddenly looking very tired and very nervous, biting their nails, folding their hands in prayer. The game goes into sudden death overtime. And soon enough Randy is rallying the metaphorical trumpet blasts and cymbal crashes to capture the finale on the ice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn annoucing:\u003c/strong> They score! One of the most amazing comebacks in franchise history! Sharks win! I’m beside myself and there’s tears in my eyes, my friend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy is doing something complex here. He’s surveying the feeling in the building and delivering it back to fans watching at home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He later told the Sharks’ in-house podcaster Brodie Brazil that he’s creating “the theater of the moment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> If it sounded like I was getting a little more excited with every goal, that was happening organically, yes, but it’s also part of years of doing this job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy shouts in ecstasy in one moment then confesses to his TV audience that he’s crying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Brodie Brazil:\u003c/strong> And you said afterwards, ‘I was a little worried, I got very emotional, I don’t know what happened.’ And that got me thinking, why did you get emotional? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I, I don’t. I still am not sure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy wondered if he’d veered too far beyond his professional boundaries at that game…if he got \u003cem>too\u003c/em> emotional. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after players and coaches made a point of complimenting his calls, he decided ultimately that he got it right. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> When something like that happens it is it’s emotional for all of us because we all have so much invested in the process and to me it was them saying you captured the way we felt even though we maybe couldn’t show it like a head coach can’t show that, it just wouldn’t look right, right? But inside you feel it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Coaches and players have to keep their heads in the game. They can’t lose their cool after every goal. Randy seems to understand that part of his job is to express the emotions that the other men on the team can’t. Randy does the feeling for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I go into every season with the same expectation, no matter what the roster, the season from start to finish will be a roller coaster ride wrapped up in a soap opera. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> It’s the same with the fans. People who have to play it cool in the office, stay calm at home, Randy does the feeling for them, too. When Randy teared up watching the Sharks beat the Penguins, so did Tristan Nickey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Tristan Nickey:\u003c/strong> Like I felt it, I was watching the game. And it was absolutely incredible and I felt what he was feeling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy got excited, so did Caleb Edwards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> Hearing his motivation and his excitement build just kind of pulsates through you as a fan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When Randy screamed into his mic, Trevin Cholmondeley screamed back at the TV.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> I think he understands the energy that’s in the clubhouse that we as fans don’t get to experience and I think we can live sort of through him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So you can see why Randy’s fans are so \u003cem>attached\u003c/em> to him. He’s an emotional conduit. An emotional medium. Funneling the euphoria and grief back and forth between players and the fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe now it makes sense why fans get so upset at the prospect of their beloved local announcer getting replaced when the team advances through the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> We’ve got to take a quick break, but when we come back we’ll find out why that happens. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Sponsor messages\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Okay, so it’s clear that Sharks fans love Randy Hahn. But if the team makes it into the later rounds of the playoffs this season, we won’t be hearing him on air anymore. April Dembosky explains why… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sociologists say that sports are like religion. Arenas, like churches. Fans are a kind of congregation worshipping the players and coaches and TV announcers like idols. So when the playoffs come and the TV announcer gets deposed, it can feel like blasphemy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Caleb Edwards:\u003c/strong> It will suck. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy C:\u003c/strong> That’s what’s a bummer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> That’s a disappointment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Emma Daniels:\u003c/strong> I wish it was a local announcer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mia Dimmock:\u003c/strong> I think we should petition to get Randy on that board. We need him calling the games.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So why do local announcers get sidelined right when their team hits the peak of success? Randy Hahn has been around long enough to see how this evolved.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Way back in the early days of the Sharks, in 1994 when they first made the playoffs, local television was allowed to do every playoff game through four rounds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But as national networks like ESPN and Fox got into the business of airing the finals, they didn’t want to share the stage with the local stations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> As network television contracts were negotiated and high rights fees were paid by those networks, they started to claw back and said we want exclusivity of the Stanley Cup finals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But it didn’t stop there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Then when the next contract rolled around, we want exclusivity of the final two rounds and then eventually the final three rounds, which is where we sit now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The NHL signed its latest national TV contract in 2021 – a seven year-deal with ESPN and TNT for $600 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Richard Deitsch has been a sports reporter and editor for two decades, at Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and now CBC radio in Canada. He says these exclusive contracts exist for all sports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It is not just a hockey question. There are baseball fans who are always wondering why, if my team makes the playoffs, can I get my local announcers and why am I getting the national announcers? And by and large, the answer to these questions are the eternal answer to most questions. And the answer is money. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> The final games of the season always attract the biggest audiences. And the more people there are watching, the more networks can charge advertisers to air their commercials. Close to one million fans tune in for the hockey finals. 20 million for the World Series. 120 million for the Super Bowl.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> These are massive numbers and that’s very, very rare in society today. It’s a very, very divisive and polarized time. It is very hard to get Americans to agree on anything, but sports is one thing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> They may not agree on who should win, but they agree the game is worth watching. Across racial backgrounds, political affiliations, and religious beliefs, people can sit together in the same arena, or in front of one TV at a bar, and share the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> That’s the power of sports still. And it’s also the reason why it’s such an economic force and a multi-billion dollar business, is because the people who are in charge of these leagues and the people who are in charge of the networks that put on these games, they know that it’s one of few, if not only things left where you can get communal experiences of that many people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Deitsch says, on a national broadcast, Randy Hahn’s passion for the Sharks could be a liability, so the networks steer clear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> They want to at least come off as impartial as possible. There’s got to be neutrality here because they know that there’s different fans tuning in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> So what the fans love most about Randy is precisely what disqualifies him from calling the playoffs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a brutal reality for local announcers. To follow a team to the climax of the season, then be forced to turn the mic over to someone else. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Richard Deitsch:\u003c/strong> It’s like you go to this great movie, it’s unbelievably dramatic, you’re there, and literally seven minutes before the movie’s over, an usher asks you to leave. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> Well obviously I don’t like it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Randy Hahn thinks there should be a middle ground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Randy Hahn:\u003c/strong> I would prefer to be doing games, and I think fans would love the option of being able to have a choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> When the Sharks last made the playoffs in 2019, Randy was in the stands at the Shark tank, watching the game with all the other fans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But fans at home wished he was in the broadcast booth. They want his partiality. They prefer his bias. And they’re not shy about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>\u003c/em>I tend to actually turn the volume down during the playoffs\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Trevin Cholmondeley says he wants an announcer who’s been through what he’s been through, all the ups and downs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Trevin Cholmondeley:\u003c/strong> Every season’s a little microcosm of life, really, and not having someone like Randy or any team’s local announcer on the big stage. Just brings the quality down for me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Sports have always been tribal. Super fans often see their team as an extension of their own identity. And because of that, they have higher self-esteem and lower levels of loneliness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research shows sports provide structure and routine and meaning. They fulfill our need to belong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even when it comes to commiserating over Randy not calling the playoffs – there’s community in that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> I was very pleasantly surprised I’m not the only one who’s feeling that way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> That’s what our question-asker Mark Gavartin took away from all this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> This is \u003cem>our\u003c/em> team. We live here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> Last winter, Randy Hahn predicted the Sharks would make the playoffs, if not last season, then this season for sure. Mark wants Randy to be his prophet, his guide, his buddy, through it all… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Mark Gavartin:\u003c/strong> And see Randy announce, ‘Hey, the Sharks won the Stanley Cup.’ \u003cem>It hasn’t happened yet, but\u003c/em> wouldn’t that be amazing? Like, to hear his voice saying that? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>April Dembosky:\u003c/strong> But even if the Sharks do win the title, that won’t happen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> That was KQED health correspondent April Dembosky.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Big thanks to Mark Gavartin for submitting this week’s question, and to the many KQED members whose support make our reporting possible. Are you a KQED member? Become one today at \u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/podcasts\">donate.kqed.org/podcasts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bay Curious is made in SF at member-supported KQED. Our show is produced by\u003cbr>Katrina Schwarts, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, and me, Olivia Allen Price. With extra support from Maha Sanad, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">everyone on Team KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a wonderful week. And go Sharks!\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> police officers were arrested by their own department and charged with felonies for an alleged ploy to cover up the mishandling of drug evidence, authorities said Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two cops are in a relationship, and police alleged that Thompson, 30, who has been with the department for six years, helped Surry, 29, plan the cover-up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers are required to maintain the chain of custody without exception and to be completely truthful in their accounts of interactions with the public,” San José Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both officers surrendered late Wednesday evening and were no longer in custody as of Thursday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Surry was also arrested by SJPD in July 2022 for misdemeanor driving under the influence, when police said he and another driver collided near East San Fernando and South Fourth streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then-Chief of Police Anthony Mata said in a statement at the time, “I have no tolerance for behavior that does not align with the values of the San José Police Department, I will do everything in my authority to hold employees accountable when there is a violation of department policy or of the law.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The two cops are in a relationship, and police alleged that Thompson, 30, who has been with the department for six years, helped Surry, 29, plan the cover-up.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Officers are required to maintain the chain of custody without exception and to be completely truthful in their accounts of interactions with the public,” San José Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both officers surrendered late Wednesday evening and were no longer in custody as of Thursday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Surry was also arrested by SJPD in July 2022 for misdemeanor driving under the influence, when police said he and another driver collided near East San Fernando and South Fourth streets.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then-Chief of Police Anthony Mata said in a statement at the time, “I have no tolerance for behavior that does not align with the values of the San José Police Department, I will do everything in my authority to hold employees accountable when there is a violation of department policy or of the law.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> police officers were arrested by their own department and charged with felonies for an alleged ploy to cover up the mishandling of drug evidence, authorities said Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers Raydarius Surry and Destiney Thompson were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday night after being charged with tampering with evidence and filing false police reports, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/3003/262#!/\">statement\u003c/a> from the San José Police Department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Police said Surry, who has been with the department for eight years, never booked into evidence a “very small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which was listed in his police report” following an arrest he made on May 3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August, police began an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105737/san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased\">internal investigation\u003c/a> into Surry’s actions and notified him about the missing evidence, which was set to be tested by the county crime lab.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After he was notified, Surry stopped a person on the street on Aug. 12, and found them “in possession of a similar baggie of suspected narcotics,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He seized the bag, but took no other enforcement action. Surrey allegedly then booked the bag into evidence under the case number for the May arrest without ever documenting the August stop or seizure of evidence, police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two cops are in a relationship, and police alleged that Thompson, 30, who has been with the department for six years, helped Surry, 29, plan the cover-up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson “accessed and viewed body-worn camera footage of the May 3rd, 2026, arrest to assist [Surry] in planning the replacement of the missing evidence,” police said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers are required to maintain the chain of custody without exception and to be completely truthful in their accounts of interactions with the public,” San José Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both officers surrendered late Wednesday evening and were no longer in custody as of Thursday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were placed on leave last month while investigations took place, and the Police Department has since referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training “for temporary decertification review while the criminal and administrative investigations are pending,” police said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect,” Joseph said. “I will not tolerate any department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Police Department said that as part of the investigation, “a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings” was completed. “The department did not discover any other discrepancies or similar actions by the two officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Surry was also arrested by SJPD in July 2022 for misdemeanor driving under the influence, when police said he and another driver collided near East San Fernando and South Fourth streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers who responded to the crash said Surry, who was off-duty at the time, showed “symptoms of alcohol influence,” and he was booked into county jail, along with the other driver, who was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then-Chief of Police Anthony Mata said in a statement at the time, “I have no tolerance for behavior that does not align with the values of the San José Police Department, I will do everything in my authority to hold employees accountable when there is a violation of department policy or of the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-joses-plaza-de-cesar-chavez-will-be-renamed-plaza-de-san-jose",
"title": "San José’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez Will Be Renamed Plaza de San José ",
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"headTitle": "San José’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez Will Be Renamed Plaza de San José | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than six months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> put a plan in motion to rename the downtown park and plaza long named for Cesar Chavez, city leaders have made a choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The elliptical gathering space in downtown will now be known as Plaza de San José, after a unanimous vote of the City Council on Tuesday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José took first place in a ranked-choice survey of five naming options that was put to residents in the summer. With more than 10,500 responses to the survey, it earned more first-choice votes than the second-place and third-place options combined, according to city reports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“By a fairly resounding margin, the community has made it clear that Plaza de San José is their preferred choice for renaming the plaza,” Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown, said during the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A stone stage platform at one end of Plaza de Cesar Chavez is seen in downtown San José on July 27, 2026. The platform’s engraved lettering bearing Chavez’s name has been removed. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think that this is really a name that speaks to the central role that this park has played in our city’s civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California, as the site of our first State Capitol here in \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/previous-ca-capitals/\">California\u003c/a> and as a longtime home to one of our earlier city halls. I think it’s a name that does its part to reflect the legacy and the importance of both the Spanish and the Mexican heritage in our city’s history,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision brings to a close a monthslong process of public engagement spanning community meetings and listening sessions, surveys and voting, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092702/san-jose-asks-for-help-renaming-plaza-de-cesar-chavez\">put into motion\u003c/a> after allegations broke that Chavez, long hailed as a unifying labor rights figure, sexually abused women and girls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">New York Times report\u003c/a> in March revealed Chavez’s alleged abuses, including against Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers union, prompting cities and districts up and down the state to consider renaming the streets, parks, schools and other landmarks titled to honor him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mayor Matt Mahan said the result is a “positive outcome” and thanked city staff for doing “a very nice job of navigating an unexpected and sensitive situation” that has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077159/east-san-jose-leaders-call-for-supporting-survivors-after-cesar-chavez-allegations\">difficult for residents\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the council ultimately chose Plaza de San José because of the community voting behind it, some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners pushed for names they said have more audible or cultural heft. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, earlier this month suggested the council adopt the name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two naming options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said Plaza de San José lacked “richness” and felt “very plain and safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community meetings and surveys yielded more than 600 suggestions for potential names from residents and organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">City staff said a request for qualifications will go out later this year seeking a group to establish a conservancy for the plaza, and a contract could be completed in the spring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The elliptical gathering space in downtown will now be known as Plaza de San José, after a unanimous vote of the City Council on Tuesday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José took first place in a ranked-choice survey of five naming options that was put to residents in the summer. With more than 10,500 responses to the survey, it earned more first-choice votes than the second-place and third-place options combined, according to city reports.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“By a fairly resounding margin, the community has made it clear that Plaza de San José is their preferred choice for renaming the plaza,” Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown, said during the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A stone stage platform at one end of Plaza de Cesar Chavez is seen in downtown San José on July 27, 2026. The platform’s engraved lettering bearing Chavez’s name has been removed.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that this is really a name that speaks to the central role that this park has played in our city’s civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California, as the site of our first State Capitol here in \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/previous-ca-capitals/\">California\u003c/a> and as a longtime home to one of our earlier city halls. I think it’s a name that does its part to reflect the legacy and the importance of both the Spanish and the Mexican heritage in our city’s history,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think that this is really a name that speaks to the central role that this park has played in our city’s civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California, as the site of our first State Capitol here in \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/previous-ca-capitals/\">California\u003c/a> and as a longtime home to one of our earlier city halls. I think it’s a name that does its part to reflect the legacy and the importance of both the Spanish and the Mexican heritage in our city’s history,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The decision brings to a close a monthslong process of public engagement spanning community meetings and listening sessions, surveys and voting, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092702/san-jose-asks-for-help-renaming-plaza-de-cesar-chavez\">put into motion\u003c/a> after allegations broke that Chavez, long hailed as a unifying labor rights figure, sexually abused women and girls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">New York Times report\u003c/a> in March revealed Chavez’s alleged abuses, including against Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers union, prompting cities and districts up and down the state to consider renaming the streets, parks, schools and other landmarks titled to honor him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan said the result is a “positive outcome” and thanked city staff for doing “a very nice job of navigating an unexpected and sensitive situation” that has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077159/east-san-jose-leaders-call-for-supporting-survivors-after-cesar-chavez-allegations\">difficult for residents\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the council ultimately chose Plaza de San José because of the community voting behind it, some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners pushed for names they said have more audible or cultural heft. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, earlier this month suggested the council adopt the name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two naming options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said Plaza de San José lacked “richness” and felt “very plain and safe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, earlier this month suggested the council adopt the name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two naming options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said Plaza de San José lacked “richness” and felt “very plain and safe.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The community meetings and surveys yielded more than 600 suggestions for potential names from residents and organizations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The community meetings and surveys yielded more than 600 suggestions for potential names from residents and organizations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City staff said a request for qualifications will go out later this year seeking a group to establish a conservancy for the plaza, and a contract could be completed in the spring. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>City staff said a request for qualifications will go out later this year seeking a group to establish a conservancy for the plaza, and a contract could be completed in the spring. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "San José leaders chose Plaza de San José as the new name for a park that long bore the name of Cesar Chavez. ",
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"title": "San José’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez Will Be Renamed Plaza de San José | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than six months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> put a plan in motion to rename the downtown park and plaza long named for Cesar Chavez, city leaders have made a choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The elliptical gathering space in downtown will now be known as Plaza de San José, after a unanimous vote of the City Council on Tuesday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José took first place in a ranked-choice survey of five naming options that was put to residents in the summer. With more than 10,500 responses to the survey, it earned more first-choice votes than the second-place and third-place options combined, according to city reports.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“By a fairly resounding margin, the community has made it clear that Plaza de San José is their preferred choice for renaming the plaza,” Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown, said during the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-PLAZACESAR-JG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A stone stage platform at one end of Plaza de Cesar Chavez is seen in downtown San José on July 27, 2026. The platform’s engraved lettering bearing Chavez’s name has been removed. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think that this is really a name that speaks to the central role that this park has played in our city’s civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California, as the site of our first State Capitol here in \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/california-history/previous-ca-capitals/\">California\u003c/a> and as a longtime home to one of our earlier city halls. I think it’s a name that does its part to reflect the legacy and the importance of both the Spanish and the Mexican heritage in our city’s history,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision brings to a close a monthslong process of public engagement spanning community meetings and listening sessions, surveys and voting, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092702/san-jose-asks-for-help-renaming-plaza-de-cesar-chavez\">put into motion\u003c/a> after allegations broke that Chavez, long hailed as a unifying labor rights figure, sexually abused women and girls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">New York Times report\u003c/a> in March revealed Chavez’s alleged abuses, including against Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers union, prompting cities and districts up and down the state to consider renaming the streets, parks, schools and other landmarks titled to honor him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mayor Matt Mahan said the result is a “positive outcome” and thanked city staff for doing “a very nice job of navigating an unexpected and sensitive situation” that has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077159/east-san-jose-leaders-call-for-supporting-survivors-after-cesar-chavez-allegations\">difficult for residents\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the council ultimately chose Plaza de San José because of the community voting behind it, some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners pushed for names they said have more audible or cultural heft. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, earlier this month suggested the council adopt the name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two naming options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said Plaza de San José lacked “richness” and felt “very plain and safe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with several others, called into the council meeting on Tuesday to suggest renaming the area Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, noting the city’s population is made up of more than 40% immigrants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We cannot take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community meetings and surveys yielded more than 600 suggestions for potential names from residents and organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After winnowing down the choices to five options based on what was most frequently suggested, and removing options that didn’t meet the city’s existing criteria for park names, city staff shared five options in a ranked-choice voting survey. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José was the overall leader after the survey, with Farmworkers Plaza the second preferred choice and Plaza del Pueblo the third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">City staff said a request for qualifications will go out later this year seeking a group to establish a conservancy for the plaza, and a contract could be completed in the spring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plaza de San José’s broad community support “will really set up this next era for the plaza well and help us get on that journey with the right foot,” Tordillos said. “And it will reaffirm that this really is a park that belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San José Launches Its Automated Speed Cameras. Here’s Where They’ll Be",
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"headTitle": "San José Launches Its Automated Speed Cameras. Here’s Where They’ll Be | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> has launched its automated speed safety camera program in an effort to curb the city’s most deadly driving behavior, Mayor Matt Mahan announced Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cameras will be located at 33 locations throughout the city — two at each site. Beginning Dec. 14, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit. Sixty days later, they’ll issue citations starting at $50, with higher penalties for greater speeds. Every vehicle gets one courtesy warning for its first violation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is really about enhancing community safety,” Mahan said. “It’s devastating to meet families who have lost loved ones unexpectedly due to traffic accidents, and particularly speeding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speeding is the No. 1 cause of traffic accidents and fatalities in San José, Mahan said. The city has, so far, recorded 41 traffic-related deaths this year — down from a high of 65 in 2022. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said more people die in traffic deaths than by homicide in San José.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=17yS8nWG7aEm0iPHhaYgVvAm72UjawrE&ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ This is a step towards preventing the kind of tragedy that shattered our world,” said Jorge Quiroz, whose 5-year-old daughter Aileen was days away from graduating kindergarten when she, her sister and her aunt were struck by a speeding driver near San José’s Parkview Elementary in 2013.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said Aileen was killed instantly, and he and his wife Elizabeth then spent five years advocating for a speed camera pilot to state lawmakers in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ It’s not to punish the drivers. We want to change the culture,” Quiroz said. “We want them to think of these cameras as a saving life tool. I want them to think of Aileen, of those families who will never get another hug.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each of the city’s 10 City Council districts will have at least one camera. The city selected camera locations based on past crash history, including sites that have seen collisions due to speeding, red light running or failure to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists, as well as proximity to places like hospitals and senior centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city estimates the program will cost between $15.4 million and $17.9 million to install, operate and maintain over the five-year pilot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speed cameras \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050882/sfs-speed-cameras-a-good-first-step-but-bittersweet-for-families-of-speeding-victims\">began ticketing\u003c/a> in San Francisco in August 2025 and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075751/oaklands-speed-cameras-start-ticketing-sunday-here-are-the-hot-spots\">Oakland\u003c/a> in March 2026. Both cities have reported major drops in speeding at camera locations since the cameras began operating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12032139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A speed camera on Geary Street in San Francisco on March 19, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ We don’t know who’s in the vehicle. There’s no facial recognition. There’s no image of the people,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said speed cameras are “just another tool” to prevent speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cameras will be located at 33 locations throughout the city — two at each site. Beginning Dec. 14, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit. Sixty days later, they’ll issue citations starting at $50, with higher penalties for greater speeds. Every vehicle gets one courtesy warning for its first violation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ This is a step towards preventing the kind of tragedy that shattered our world,” said Jorge Quiroz, whose 5-year-old daughter Aileen was days away from graduating kindergarten when she, her sister and her aunt were struck by a speeding driver near San José’s Parkview Elementary in 2013.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ It’s not to punish the drivers. We want to change the culture,” Quiroz said. “We want them to think of these cameras as a saving life tool. I want them to think of Aileen, of those families who will never get another hug.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ It’s not to punish the drivers. We want to change the culture,” Quiroz said. “We want them to think of these cameras as a saving life tool. I want them to think of Aileen, of those families who will never get another hug.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each of the city’s 10 City Council districts will have at least one camera. The city selected camera locations based on past crash history, including sites that have seen collisions due to speeding, red light running or failure to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists, as well as proximity to places like hospitals and senior centers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city estimates the program will cost between $15.4 million and $17.9 million to install, operate and maintain over the five-year pilot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city estimates the program will cost between $15.4 million and $17.9 million to install, operate and maintain over the five-year pilot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Speed cameras \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050882/sfs-speed-cameras-a-good-first-step-but-bittersweet-for-families-of-speeding-victims\">began ticketing\u003c/a> in San Francisco in August 2025 and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075751/oaklands-speed-cameras-start-ticketing-sunday-here-are-the-hot-spots\">Oakland\u003c/a> in March 2026. Both cities have reported major drops in speeding at camera locations since the cameras began operating.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12032139\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A speed camera on Geary Street in San Francisco on March 19, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ We don’t know who’s in the vehicle. There’s no facial recognition. There’s no image of the people,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Quiroz said speed cameras are “just another tool” to prevent speeding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> has launched its automated speed safety camera program in an effort to curb the city’s most deadly driving behavior, Mayor Matt Mahan announced Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cameras will be located at 33 locations throughout the city — two at each site. Beginning Dec. 14, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit. Sixty days later, they’ll issue citations starting at $50, with higher penalties for greater speeds. Every vehicle gets one courtesy warning for its first violation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is really about enhancing community safety,” Mahan said. “It’s devastating to meet families who have lost loved ones unexpectedly due to traffic accidents, and particularly speeding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speeding is the No. 1 cause of traffic accidents and fatalities in San José, Mahan said. The city has, so far, recorded 41 traffic-related deaths this year — down from a high of 65 in 2022. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said more people die in traffic deaths than by homicide in San José.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=17yS8nWG7aEm0iPHhaYgVvAm72UjawrE&ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ This is a step towards preventing the kind of tragedy that shattered our world,” said Jorge Quiroz, whose 5-year-old daughter Aileen was days away from graduating kindergarten when she, her sister and her aunt were struck by a speeding driver near San José’s Parkview Elementary in 2013.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said Aileen was killed instantly, and he and his wife Elizabeth then spent five years advocating for a speed camera pilot to state lawmakers in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ It’s not to punish the drivers. We want to change the culture,” Quiroz said. “We want them to think of these cameras as a saving life tool. I want them to think of Aileen, of those families who will never get another hug.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each of the city’s 10 City Council districts will have at least one camera. The city selected camera locations based on past crash history, including sites that have seen collisions due to speeding, red light running or failure to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists, as well as proximity to places like hospitals and senior centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José is the final Bay Area city to implement AB 645, a state law passed in 2023 — which authorized six cities in the state, including San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and Los Angeles — to pilot automated speed enforcement for five years or until Jan. 1, 2032, whichever comes first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said San José intended to be the first city to start the pilot, but it faced delays because the Trump administration withheld an $8.5 million grant that it had previously awarded to the city to cover some of the program’s costs. He said the city was instead forced to source that funding from local revenue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under state law, San José’s speed cameras are set to begin issuing citations on Feb. 12, 2027. The city has installed cameras at four locations and plans to finish over the next several weeks, Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city estimates the program will cost between $15.4 million and $17.9 million to install, operate and maintain over the five-year pilot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speed cameras \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050882/sfs-speed-cameras-a-good-first-step-but-bittersweet-for-families-of-speeding-victims\">began ticketing\u003c/a> in San Francisco in August 2025 and in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075751/oaklands-speed-cameras-start-ticketing-sunday-here-are-the-hot-spots\">Oakland\u003c/a> in March 2026. Both cities have reported major drops in speeding at camera locations since the cameras began operating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/media/50300/download?inline\">report\u003c/a> on the first 18 months of San Francisco’s program, the share of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit dropped by nearly 84% across camera locations compared to pre-implementation levels — and 63% of the vehicles cited did not get a second warning or citation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re seeing significant progress over time, which overall makes San Francisco streets safer,” said Viktoriya Wise, director of streets at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12032139\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250319-SF-SPEED-CAMERAS-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A speed camera on Geary Street in San Francisco on March 19, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an August \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095997/oakland-speed-cameras-show-promise-more-than-half-of-tickets-go-to-non-residents\">report\u003c/a> on the first six months of its program, Oakland said drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the speed limit dropped by 70% at its camera locations. One location saw a 91% reduction in speeding, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Street safety advocacy groups, like Walk San Francisco, have begun pushing for a new state law to expand San Francisco’s speed camera program and expand it to other cities in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Walk SF is aware of more than a dozen California cities, big and small, that now want speed camera programs for their city to help address dangerous speeding,” said Marta Lindsey, communications director for Walk San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José, like other Bay Area cities, has recently seen intense opposition to other camera systems in use in the city, like the nearly 500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102922/south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy\">automated license plate readers\u003c/a> operated by the company Flock Safety, but Mahan stressed that the speed cameras “are not surveillance cameras.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ We don’t know who’s in the vehicle. There’s no facial recognition. There’s no image of the people,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The speed cameras will only capture a vehicle’s rear license plate, unlike Flock’s technology, which also records vehicle characteristics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city also operates four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058285/san-jose-launches-new-red-light-cameras-in-effort-to-reduce-traffic-deaths\">red-light cameras under a separate pilot program\u003c/a>, which ticket drivers who drive through an intersection against a red light. San José has cited red-light running as the second-highest contributing factor to traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city, after speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mahan said speed camera data will be deleted within five days if no infraction is issued, and within 60 days if there is an infraction. He said the city has sole control over the encrypted data and is not allowed to share it with any other levels of government unless ordered by a court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Safe streets advocates in Oakland have said the speed cameras are a good step to help reduce speeding, but cities should continue to focus on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065712/to-fix-oaklands-speeding-problem-automated-cameras-cant-do-it-alone\">other measures\u003c/a> to discourage the behavior, like redesigning roads in ways that force drivers to travel more slowly and protect cyclists and pedestrians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city has contracted Verra Mobility Services, an Arizona-based transportation technology company, to provide tech support and process citations. Verra holds similar contracts for San Francisco’s and Oakland’s automated speed camera programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Citations generated by automated speed cameras are a civil penalty, so they don’t generate points against a driver’s driving record like a criminal penalty. Revenue generated from San José’s speed camera citations will go toward the cost of running the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/transportation/projects/speed-cameras-project\">program\u003c/a>, and any surplus revenue may only be used on traffic safety improvements, in accordance with AB 645. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quiroz said speed cameras are “just another tool” to prevent speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“ Is it going to solve the whole issue? No, I don’t think so. But I think it’s going to help save lives,” he said. “This is so preventable.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-joses-police-watchdog-report-shows-complaints-uses-of-force-increased",
"title": "San José’s Police Watchdog Report Shows Complaints, Uses of Force Increased",
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"headTitle": "San José’s Police Watchdog Report Shows Complaints, Uses of Force Increased | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "San José’s independent police auditor called for guarantees that completed investigations will be shared with his office faster. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Tensions around police surveillance technology are boiling over as Flock’s contract with San Francisco faces renewal in February 2027.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "as-san-jose-tries-to-regulate-data-centers-residents-want-to-ban-them",
"title": "As San José Tries to Regulate Data Centers, Residents Want to Ban Them",
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"headTitle": "As San José Tries to Regulate Data Centers, Residents Want to Ban Them | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As San José officials rolled out new proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099195/full-on-backlash-against-data-centers-occurring-as-san-jose-courts-them\">data center development standards\u003c/a>, moving one step closer to enshrining them, residents and environmental advocates staged rallies and packed City Hall demanding an outright moratorium on the power-hungry facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104842\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Clark of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits speaks during a rally ahead of a community meeting about data centers at San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He pledged in an interview last month that the city would set some of the “highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard” from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Data centers would need to use completely carbon-neutral electricity, limit the time their backup generators are run for testing or maintenance to only 25 hours per year, as opposed to state rules of 50 hours annually, and must regularly report their water and electricity usage to the city, with third-party verification every five years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan watches a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>San José’s proposed standards also could require sewer discharge and noise monitoring, and would expand the radius for who receives mailed notification cards about a possible data center project to 1,500 feet, from the current maximum of 1,000 feet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the meeting, and at rallies before and after outside City Hall, residents expressed outright distrust of city leadership and staff, saying the public engagement process has felt rushed and has resulted in proposed standards that some characterized as weak or a giveaway to AI data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents also asked for a moratorium because the limited regulatory reach of the city will not be able to encompass broader concerns stemming from data center development, like the unknown cumulative impacts of having too many in one area, the risk of groundwater pollution from harsh chemicals used in some cooling processes, and even the potential for security risk, citing Ukraine and Russia ramping up attacks on each other’s data centers this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ted Smith, a longtime resident of San José, helped lead the charge for a right-to-know ordinance in the 1980s after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry’s\u003c/a> unrestrained growth led to mass pollution in the county due to mismanaged solvents used in chipmaking, all while leaders of companies like Fairchild and Intel said their industry was a clean one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104844\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man holds up signs during a rally by people demanding a halt to data center development outside of San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen during a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104838\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thurston Brevett, of San José, speaks to city officials about his concerns with data centers during a community meeting inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shaf Khan, another resident, agreed, saying they were worried history would repeat itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“This just seems to just be ignoring the huge issues of our time, where you’ve got things like cumulative concentration,” Staedler said of the proposed data center standards. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We spend more time worrying about weed shops and alcohol and smoke shops than we are going to do with data centers,” Staedler said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city’s standards would regulate how often diesel or natural gas backup generators can be run for testing and maintenance, they would not apply during a power outage, one of the primary concerns from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What happens when there’s a heat wave, as we are constantly experiencing year after year,” Ellina Yin, who closely tracks data center development in the city, said at a rally she helped organize before the meeting. “What happens when the power goes out and all of the generators kick on?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104842\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Clark of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits speaks during a rally ahead of a community meeting about data centers at San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Data centers would need to use completely carbon-neutral electricity, limit the time their backup generators are run for testing or maintenance to only 25 hours per year, as opposed to state rules of 50 hours annually, and must regularly report their water and electricity usage to the city, with third-party verification every five years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José’s proposed standards also could require sewer discharge and noise monitoring, and would expand the radius for who receives mailed notification cards about a possible data center project to 1,500 feet, from the current maximum of 1,000 feet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the meeting, and at rallies before and after outside City Hall, residents expressed outright distrust of city leadership and staff, saying the public engagement process has felt rushed and has resulted in proposed standards that some characterized as weak or a giveaway to AI data center developers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some residents also asked for a moratorium because the limited regulatory reach of the city will not be able to encompass broader concerns stemming from data center development, like the unknown cumulative impacts of having too many in one area, the risk of groundwater pollution from harsh chemicals used in some cooling processes, and even the potential for security risk, citing Ukraine and Russia ramping up attacks on each other’s data centers this week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ted Smith, a longtime resident of San José, helped lead the charge for a right-to-know ordinance in the 1980s after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry’s\u003c/a> unrestrained growth led to mass pollution in the county due to mismanaged solvents used in chipmaking, all while leaders of companies like Fairchild and Intel said their industry was a clean one. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104838\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thurston Brevett, of San José, speaks to city officials about his concerns with data centers during a community meeting inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shaf Khan, another resident, agreed, saying they were worried history would repeat itself. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This just seems to just be ignoring the huge issues of our time, where you’ve got things like cumulative concentration,” Staedler said of the proposed data center standards. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We spend more time worrying about weed shops and alcohol and smoke shops than we are going to do with data centers,” Staedler said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the city’s standards would regulate how often diesel or natural gas backup generators can be run for testing and maintenance, they would not apply during a power outage, one of the primary concerns from residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What happens when there’s a heat wave, as we are constantly experiencing year after year,” Ellina Yin, who closely tracks data center development in the city, said at a rally she helped organize before the meeting. “What happens when the power goes out and all of the generators kick on?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As San José officials rolled out new proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099195/full-on-backlash-against-data-centers-occurring-as-san-jose-courts-them\">data center development standards\u003c/a>, moving one step closer to enshrining them, residents and environmental advocates staged rallies and packed City Hall demanding an outright moratorium on the power-hungry facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported\">increased local temperatures\u003c/a> and constant noise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The very least that we could expect is that our government, which is funded by our tax dollars and led by people who we elected to serve us, does not blindly follow corporations and billionaires into the unknown,” Kylie Clark, policy director at the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits, said during a rally before the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104842\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-7-KQED-e20fe58e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kylie Clark of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits speaks during a rally ahead of a community meeting about data centers at San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“These decisions are not reversible. They will define our city for generations to come. So our question is, what is the rush? Why in the world wouldn’t we take our time, understand the impacts, and get it right?” Clark said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While other Bay Area cities including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099583/san-francisco-supervisors-push-for-moratorium-on-new-data-centers\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097506/oakland-residents-continue-push-against-data-centers\">Oakland\u003c/a>, Richmond, Gilroy and Oakley have passed temporary moratoriums on data centers out of concern about health and environmental impacts, and to give city officials time to plan out codes and regulations, San José has continued a policy of courting data center developers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan, who attended part of Thursday evening’s meeting, has said previously the city should lead the way in helping shape how such significant investments benefit municipalities, and has likened an outright ban on data center development to burying “our heads in the sand.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He pledged in an interview last month that the city would set some of the “highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard” from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials, including Deputy City Manager Manuel Pineda, who oversees the city’s energy and environmental services work, reiterated Thursday that the City Council has not directed staff to work toward a moratorium, despite public calls to do so.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the city is pushing ahead with a process that began in August to hold community meetings and accept feedback from residents to help craft new rules around data center development, monitoring and requirements for ensuring such projects help support affordable housing fees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Long before responding to concerns from residents by ramping up this public input process, however, San José had established dedicated staffing to attract data centers, inked a power reliability \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">agreement with PG&E\u003c/a>, and offered “concierge-style support” to data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are still listening as we continue to develop those standards, to make them the best standards possible,” Pineda said Thursday at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city’s proposed standards include requirements that data centers use recycled water for cooling the intensive heat put off by racks of processors and servers, or use low-water systems that use air or “closed-loop” design. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Data centers would need to use completely carbon-neutral electricity, limit the time their backup generators are run for testing or maintenance to only 25 hours per year, as opposed to state rules of 50 hours annually, and must regularly report their water and electricity usage to the city, with third-party verification every five years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-3-KQED-760c7631-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan watches a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>San José’s proposed standards also could require sewer discharge and noise monitoring, and would expand the radius for who receives mailed notification cards about a possible data center project to 1,500 feet, from the current maximum of 1,000 feet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the meeting, and at rallies before and after outside City Hall, residents expressed outright distrust of city leadership and staff, saying the public engagement process has felt rushed and has resulted in proposed standards that some characterized as weak or a giveaway to AI data center developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents also asked for a moratorium because the limited regulatory reach of the city will not be able to encompass broader concerns stemming from data center development, like the unknown cumulative impacts of having too many in one area, the risk of groundwater pollution from harsh chemicals used in some cooling processes, and even the potential for security risk, citing Ukraine and Russia ramping up attacks on each other’s data centers this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ted Smith, a longtime resident of San José, helped lead the charge for a right-to-know ordinance in the 1980s after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry’s\u003c/a> unrestrained growth led to mass pollution in the county due to mismanaged solvents used in chipmaking, all while leaders of companies like Fairchild and Intel said their industry was a clean one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104844\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-9-KQED-6d4d94e2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man holds up signs during a rally by people demanding a halt to data center development outside of San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104839\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104839\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-2-KQED-6a0c332c-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees listen during a community meeting about data center development standards inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104838\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-1-KQED-4189affe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thurston Brevett, of San José, speaks to city officials about his concerns with data centers during a community meeting inside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mayor Janet Gray Hayes, at the time, said she was horn-swoggled by the fact that they didn’t understand what was going on. I’m afraid we’re walking right back into that same trap,” Smith told city officials. “I see your standards here; I think you could drive a truck through a lot of those in terms of what they can put over on you.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shaf Khan, another resident, agreed, saying they were worried history would repeat itself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I live in an area with three data centers already. I’d like to know the impacts of those over a long period of time, especially on young and developing children and expecting parents before we move on with making more,” Khan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bob Staedler, a longtime San José land use consultant, said in an interview that the city is being too “chummy” with data center developers, and has tools at its disposal if it wanted to more closely restrict how many are allowed in any one area, such as how it recently put a moratorium on all new \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063060/san-jose-is-cracking-down-on-smoke-shops-and-sales-of-nitrous-oxide-whip-its\">smoke shops\u003c/a> through late 2027 due to concerns about overconcentration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104843\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261015-DATACENTERMEET-JG-8-KQED-66ac0646-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misrayn Mendoza of community group Amigos de Guadalupe speaks during a rally calling for a data center moratorium outside San José City Hall on Oct. 15, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“This just seems to just be ignoring the huge issues of our time, where you’ve got things like cumulative concentration,” Staedler said of the proposed data center standards. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We spend more time worrying about weed shops and alcohol and smoke shops than we are going to do with data centers,” Staedler said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the city’s standards would regulate how often diesel or natural gas backup generators can be run for testing and maintenance, they would not apply during a power outage, one of the primary concerns from residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What happens when there’s a heat wave, as we are constantly experiencing year after year,” Ellina Yin, who closely tracks data center development in the city, said at a rally she helped organize before the meeting. “What happens when the power goes out and all of the generators kick on?”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "staring-down-a-historic-el-nino-san-jose-says-its-ready",
"title": "Staring Down a Historic El Niño, San José Says It’s Ready",
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"headTitle": "Staring Down a Historic El Niño, San José Says It’s Ready | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> is ramping up preparations for what forecasters warn could be a “very strong” El Niño, in an effort to avoid another major flood — like the one that prompted mass evacuations almost a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has increased communication with the Santa Clara Valley Water District since learning what Mayor Matt Mahan called “hard lessons” after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027875/san-jose-floodwalls-should-shield-neighborhoods-against-20-year-flood\">2017 Coyote Creek flood\u003c/a> — which displaced thousands and prompted the city to grade itself an ‘F’ in emergency preparedness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City staff is monitoring dozens of historical flooding sites, with the Transportation Department holding a storm coordination meeting to review emergency response procedures — upgraded public safety measures thanks to the passage of the 2018 bond measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025, press conference in North San José. \u003cbr> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Climate Protection Center, an arm of the National Weather Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html\">said\u003c/a> earlier this month that El Niño has continued to intensify, and chances “remain high” that it could be stronger than any the world has seen since 1950. From October through December, CPC said there’s an 83% chance for a historic event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, counties like Marin and San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">have also already started prepping\u003c/a> for the effects by cleaning drains and planning for large amounts of rain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan said a San José voter-passed initiative, Measure T, helped the city expand water catchment basins, upgrade its emergency operations center, improve roadways and its 911 system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public’s willingness to invest in public infrastructure is part of the reason that we feel we’re in a much better position heading into this El Niño season than we have in the past,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-starts-preparing-for-wet-winter-weather/\">in recent years\u003c/a> experienced heavy rains due to events like atmospheric rivers, which have caused flooding and fallen trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Efforts for El Niño, he said, do include a focus on locations where flooding has happened historically, though citywide prevention is also a priority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coyote Creek as seen from Berryessa Rd. in San José on Sept. 6, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valley Water has also increased preparedness. The agency completed over 8,000 feet of flood walls along Coyote Creek and was recently awarded a $100 million contract for the next phase of flood protection improvement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are steadily investing in the waterways that they oversee and reducing flood risk,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mayor said the City Council will receive an update on the highest-risk flooding locations in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025, press conference in North San José. \u003cbr>\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Climate Protection Center, an arm of the National Weather Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html\">said\u003c/a> earlier this month that El Niño has continued to intensify, and chances “remain high” that it could be stronger than any the world has seen since 1950. From October through December, CPC said there’s an 83% chance for a historic event. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, counties like Marin and San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">have also already started prepping\u003c/a> for the effects by cleaning drains and planning for large amounts of rain. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan said a San José voter-passed initiative, Measure T, helped the city expand water catchment basins, upgrade its emergency operations center, improve roadways and its 911 system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The public’s willingness to invest in public infrastructure is part of the reason that we feel we’re in a much better position heading into this El Niño season than we have in the past,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-starts-preparing-for-wet-winter-weather/\">in recent years\u003c/a> experienced heavy rains due to events like atmospheric rivers, which have caused flooding and fallen trees. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Efforts for El Niño, he said, do include a focus on locations where flooding has happened historically, though citywide prevention is also a priority. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Valley Water has also increased preparedness. The agency completed over 8,000 feet of flood walls along Coyote Creek and was recently awarded a $100 million contract for the next phase of flood protection improvement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They are steadily investing in the waterways that they oversee and reducing flood risk,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mayor said the City Council will receive an update on the highest-risk flooding locations in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> is ramping up preparations for what forecasters warn could be a “very strong” El Niño, in an effort to avoid another major flood — like the one that prompted mass evacuations almost a decade ago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has increased communication with the Santa Clara Valley Water District since learning what Mayor Matt Mahan called “hard lessons” after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027875/san-jose-floodwalls-should-shield-neighborhoods-against-20-year-flood\">2017 Coyote Creek flood\u003c/a> — which displaced thousands and prompted the city to grade itself an ‘F’ in emergency preparedness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City staff is monitoring dozens of historical flooding sites, with the Transportation Department holding a storm coordination meeting to review emergency response procedures — upgraded public safety measures thanks to the passage of the 2018 bond measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025, press conference in North San José. \u003cbr> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that information could come in handy — El Niño-driven flooding, mudslides, power outages and more have been predicted, as the natural climate pattern \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">continues to strengthen\u003c/a> with impacts across the California coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We feel we’re prepared,” Mahan told KQED on Thursday. “We keep getting better — we’re investing more in infrastructure, technology, our coordination with Valley Water and continuing to educate our community to make sure individuals are prepared and paying attention and in a position to be resilient as we have extreme weather.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Climate Protection Center, an arm of the National Weather Service, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html\">said\u003c/a> earlier this month that El Niño has continued to intensify, and chances “remain high” that it could be stronger than any the world has seen since 1950. From October through December, CPC said there’s an 83% chance for a historic event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, counties like Marin and San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097546/el-nino-could-bring-a-wet-wild-winter-how-can-you-and-your-home-be-ready\">have also already started prepping\u003c/a> for the effects by cleaning drains and planning for large amounts of rain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan said a San José voter-passed initiative, Measure T, helped the city expand water catchment basins, upgrade its emergency operations center, improve roadways and its 911 system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public’s willingness to invest in public infrastructure is part of the reason that we feel we’re in a much better position heading into this El Niño season than we have in the past,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-starts-preparing-for-wet-winter-weather/\">in recent years\u003c/a> experienced heavy rains due to events like atmospheric rivers, which have caused flooding and fallen trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that flooding has been minimal compared to the Coyote Creek flood, which forced 14,000 to evacuate and incurred around $100 million in damages. Residents filed a lawsuit after the fact because they said that they weren’t properly notified in advance about emergency preparedness, and that the dam that flooded wasn’t adequately maintained. The parties settled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Efforts for El Niño, he said, do include a focus on locations where flooding has happened historically, though citywide prevention is also a priority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104542\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/230906-BERRYESSA-BART-URBAN-VILLAGE-MD-08_qed-74773039-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coyote Creek as seen from Berryessa Rd. in San José on Sept. 6, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valley Water has also increased preparedness. The agency completed over 8,000 feet of flood walls along Coyote Creek and was recently awarded a $100 million contract for the next phase of flood protection improvement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are steadily investing in the waterways that they oversee and reducing flood risk,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mayor said the City Council will receive an update on the highest-risk flooding locations in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of the tragic death of another child involved in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County \u003c/a>child welfare system, two parents have been charged with criminal neglect, and the district attorney is proposing a new approach to keeping vulnerable kids safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-1536x1048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gabrielle Hanson wipes her eye as she talks with Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews at her arraignment at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. Hanson has been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Santa Clara County District Attorney is calling for a new approach to keeping kids safe.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In the wake of the tragic death of another child involved in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County \u003c/a>child welfare system, two parents have been charged with criminal neglect, and the district attorney is proposing a new approach to keeping vulnerable kids safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-1536x1048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gabrielle Hanson wipes her eye as she talks with Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews at her arraignment at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. Hanson has been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-averts-strike-with-tentative-labor-deal",
"title": "San José Averts Strike With Tentative Labor Deal",
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"headTitle": "San José Averts Strike With Tentative Labor Deal | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> will avert a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094427/san-jose-strike-vote-this-week-could-set-up-a-major-work-stoppage\">major workers strike\u003c/a> that threatened to affect a broad range of city services, as leaders are set to ink a deal with the city’s two largest employee unions after months of stalled negotiations, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Municipal Employees’ Federation, AFSCME Local 101, and the City Association of Management Personnel, IFPTE Local 21, which together represent as many as 4,500 workers, have agreed to a tentative deal with the city, and the city council is expected to finalize the approval before the end of the month, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan called it a “great milestone” for the city and its workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We got to a place where I believe and I certainly hope our workforce feels respected and valued and knows that we stretch to get them every dollar we can, while also giving assurance to our residents that their service levels will be maintained and over time increased as we hire more people and adopt technology and see the economy continue to grow,” Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor, Matt Mahan, speaks at a press conference ahead of The Golden State Valkyries’ second playoff run on Violet Day outside of San José City Hall in San José on Sept. 25, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to pay our workforce fairly and make sure people can afford to live in the community that they serve without sacrificing essential services from emergency response to library hours. And I think we struck that balance in this deal,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three-year labor contract includes wage increases of 3% in each year, with the possibility of an additional 1% in the third year if the city’s general fund meets a surplus threshold, according to the city. The deal also includes an immediate one-time bonus payment of 1% to help offset recent price increases and lays out safeguards on artificial intelligence use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, IFPTE Local 21 said the agreement “represents significant progress toward addressing workers’ priorities, such as AI guardrails and employee retention, and securing a contract that recognizes and respects the workers who keep the city running.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In a time of rising costs and economic uncertainty, our members showed up and made their voices heard, and stayed committed to making real progress that supports a stable workforce for our city,” Carlos Murillo, an airport engineer and a member of the IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team, said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The two unions represent workers from a bevy of city departments, including librarians, city planners, wastewater facility supervisors, animal services officers, veterinarians and park rangers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wages were the biggest issue during eight months of negotiations, including periods of outright gridlock, union leaders said previously. In August, members of the two unions overwhelmingly voted in favor of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095657/thousands-of-san-jose-city-workers-are-ready-to-strike-for-up-to-3-days\">strike authorization\u003c/a> for up to three days of work stoppage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the strike vote, the unions and the city had been engaged in a process known as fact-finding, with a panel from the California Public Employment Relations Board reviewing the offers made by each side and making non-binding recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previous public proposals showed the unions were asking for a 14% wage increase over three years, while the city had offered 9% in the same time frame. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The additional pay based on the city’s budget and the bonus pay appeared to be the primary wage differences between the current tentative deal and the city’s past offers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re being open and honest about our financial constraints. Our workforce is being very clear about what they need to be able to live and thrive here,” Mahan said. “It doesn’t work in the long run if we make unsustainable commitments that force us to lay workers off or cut services for vulnerable residents and undermine faith in government.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If both unions went on strike, it would have been the city’s largest since 1981. The same two unions and the city also fought out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958216/san-jose-city-worker-strike-on-hold-after-agreement\">wage disputes\u003c/a> in 2023, nearly leading to a strike before reaching the most recent contracts, which expired in June. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">Sara Hossaini \u003c/a>and Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> will avert a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094427/san-jose-strike-vote-this-week-could-set-up-a-major-work-stoppage\">major workers strike\u003c/a> that threatened to affect a broad range of city services, as leaders are set to ink a deal with the city’s two largest employee unions after months of stalled negotiations, officials said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Municipal Employees’ Federation, AFSCME Local 101, and the City Association of Management Personnel, IFPTE Local 21, which together represent as many as 4,500 workers, have agreed to a tentative deal with the city, and the city council is expected to finalize the approval before the end of the month, officials said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The three-year labor contract includes wage increases of 3% in each year, with the possibility of an additional 1% in the third year if the city’s general fund meets a surplus threshold, according to the city. The deal also includes an immediate one-time bonus payment of 1% to help offset recent price increases and lays out safeguards on artificial intelligence use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In a time of rising costs and economic uncertainty, our members showed up and made their voices heard, and stayed committed to making real progress that supports a stable workforce for our city,” Carlos Murillo, an airport engineer and a member of the IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team, said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The two unions represent workers from a bevy of city departments, including librarians, city planners, wastewater facility supervisors, animal services officers, veterinarians and park rangers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wages were the biggest issue during eight months of negotiations, including periods of outright gridlock, union leaders said previously. In August, members of the two unions overwhelmingly voted in favor of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095657/thousands-of-san-jose-city-workers-are-ready-to-strike-for-up-to-3-days\">strike authorization\u003c/a> for up to three days of work stoppage. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since the strike vote, the unions and the city had been engaged in a process known as fact-finding, with a panel from the California Public Employment Relations Board reviewing the offers made by each side and making non-binding recommendations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re being open and honest about our financial constraints. Our workforce is being very clear about what they need to be able to live and thrive here,” Mahan said. “It doesn’t work in the long run if we make unsustainable commitments that force us to lay workers off or cut services for vulnerable residents and undermine faith in government.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If both unions went on strike, it would have been the city’s largest since 1981. The same two unions and the city also fought out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958216/san-jose-city-worker-strike-on-hold-after-agreement\">wage disputes\u003c/a> in 2023, nearly leading to a strike before reaching the most recent contracts, which expired in June. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> will avert a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094427/san-jose-strike-vote-this-week-could-set-up-a-major-work-stoppage\">major workers strike\u003c/a> that threatened to affect a broad range of city services, as leaders are set to ink a deal with the city’s two largest employee unions after months of stalled negotiations, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Municipal Employees’ Federation, AFSCME Local 101, and the City Association of Management Personnel, IFPTE Local 21, which together represent as many as 4,500 workers, have agreed to a tentative deal with the city, and the city council is expected to finalize the approval before the end of the month, officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan called it a “great milestone” for the city and its workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We got to a place where I believe and I certainly hope our workforce feels respected and valued and knows that we stretch to get them every dollar we can, while also giving assurance to our residents that their service levels will be maintained and over time increased as we hire more people and adopt technology and see the economy continue to grow,” Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/092526-VioletDaySJ-14-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor, Matt Mahan, speaks at a press conference ahead of The Golden State Valkyries’ second playoff run on Violet Day outside of San José City Hall in San José on Sept. 25, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to pay our workforce fairly and make sure people can afford to live in the community that they serve without sacrificing essential services from emergency response to library hours. And I think we struck that balance in this deal,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three-year labor contract includes wage increases of 3% in each year, with the possibility of an additional 1% in the third year if the city’s general fund meets a surplus threshold, according to the city. The deal also includes an immediate one-time bonus payment of 1% to help offset recent price increases and lays out safeguards on artificial intelligence use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, IFPTE Local 21 said the agreement “represents significant progress toward addressing workers’ priorities, such as AI guardrails and employee retention, and securing a contract that recognizes and respects the workers who keep the city running.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In a time of rising costs and economic uncertainty, our members showed up and made their voices heard, and stayed committed to making real progress that supports a stable workforce for our city,” Carlos Murillo, an airport engineer and a member of the IFPTE Local 21 bargaining team, said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The two unions represent workers from a bevy of city departments, including librarians, city planners, wastewater facility supervisors, animal services officers, veterinarians and park rangers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wages were the biggest issue during eight months of negotiations, including periods of outright gridlock, union leaders said previously. In August, members of the two unions overwhelmingly voted in favor of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095657/thousands-of-san-jose-city-workers-are-ready-to-strike-for-up-to-3-days\">strike authorization\u003c/a> for up to three days of work stoppage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the strike vote, the unions and the city had been engaged in a process known as fact-finding, with a panel from the California Public Employment Relations Board reviewing the offers made by each side and making non-binding recommendations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previous public proposals showed the unions were asking for a 14% wage increase over three years, while the city had offered 9% in the same time frame. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The additional pay based on the city’s budget and the bonus pay appeared to be the primary wage differences between the current tentative deal and the city’s past offers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re being open and honest about our financial constraints. Our workforce is being very clear about what they need to be able to live and thrive here,” Mahan said. “It doesn’t work in the long run if we make unsustainable commitments that force us to lay workers off or cut services for vulnerable residents and undermine faith in government.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If both unions went on strike, it would have been the city’s largest since 1981. The same two unions and the city also fought out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958216/san-jose-city-worker-strike-on-hold-after-agreement\">wage disputes\u003c/a> in 2023, nearly leading to a strike before reaching the most recent contracts, which expired in June. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">Sara Hossaini \u003c/a>and Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy",
"title": "South Bay Judge Rules San José’s Flock Cameras Don’t Invade Privacy ",
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"headTitle": "South Bay Judge Rules San José’s Flock Cameras Don’t Invade Privacy | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A judge dismissed a lawsuit against San José over its massive network of automated license plate readers. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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