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State justice mobile app and smartphones unveiled for San Francisco officers
Summary
The attorney general and local leaders showcased the Justice Mobile app and a smartphone rollout for San Francisco officers that officials said will give field officers direct access to state and local law‑enforcement data.
State and local officials used the Board of Supervisors' hearing to demonstrate the Justice Mobile app, a secure application that allows sworn officers to access state and federal law‑enforcement databases on a mobile device.
San Francisco Police leadership described the program as a rollout — not merely a pilot — that will put secure smartphones in the hands of officers and provide tools such as access to the city's crime data warehouse, booking photos, email, crime bulletins, penal codes, and other operational resources. City officials said the devices include camera, video, GPS mapping, talk‑to‑text and Google translation features designed to improve reporting, evidence collection and officer situational awareness.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris said the Justice Mobile app will "be transformative for law enforcement in the state and a model for the country," describing the app's capability to provide real‑time criminal history, wanted‑person checks and other data through a secure login. Adrienne Farley, CIO at the California Department of Justice, demonstrated the app in a sample lookup, showing searches by license plate, driver's license, and name/date of birth that can return wanted‑person and criminal‑history information.
Officials emphasized security features: two‑factor authentication, remote wipe capability, and a design that does not store data on the device. San Francisco presenters said the mobile access will make field checks faster and reduce radio or desktop lookups that can delay response; the chief also cited a year‑to‑date drop in homicides and shootings as context for better leveraging technology in policing.
City and state officials said the Justice Mobile app has been deployed as part of a partnership including the California Department of Justice and local law‑enforcement agencies and that other large agencies in California are expected to adopt similar tools in coming months.
Questions about privacy safeguards, data retention and oversight were raised by supervisors and will continue to be part of scrutiny as the rollout proceeds.
The city invited supervisors and members of the public to view demonstration devices at the hearing and said further technical briefings are available for committee follow‑up.
