SAN DIEGO - City leaders are working to come up with new rules for the use of San Diego's smart street lights.
The city council is considering a new ordinance on the use of those street lights requiring the full disclosure of why the video is being used and who is being investigated. Council President Pro Tem Monica Montgomery-Steppe authored the ordinance and tells NBC 7 it's about letting residents know what's going on.
"It provides oversight and the checks and balances for all types of surveillance technology that the city may purchase," Montgomery-Steppe said.
But the ordinance is in conflict with some 16 non-disclosure agreements with federal tasks forces which prevent police officers from talking about the cases they're working on. San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit addressed the city council, saying if the ordinance was passed as written, officers would either be in violation of the ordinance or in violation of federal law.
"From mass shootings, to school threats, to the fentanyl epidemic this country has seen, it’s not proper right now to eliminate our conversations with our federal partners," Nisleit said.
The council came up with an amendment to exempt officers working on task force cases. But some residents say that amendment weakens the ordinance and give police a way out of transparency requirements.
The city council is set to vote on the change in July.
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