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Residents press council on antisemitic pole sign, surveillance tech and tennis‑vs‑pickleball court plans
Summary
Several speakers used public comment to raise a range of local concerns — a resident reported an antisemitic symbol posted on a pole at the sand dunes, another asked about the city's contract with 'Flock' and whether cameras use facial recognition, and tennis players urged the city not to paint permanent pickleball lines across tennis courts.
A cluster of community concerns came up during public comment and council responses addressed each in turn.
Gali (S7) reported seeing a sign at the sand dunes combining a Star of David and a cross and said she believed it constituted antisemitic hate speech on a pole that may be LADWP property. She said police told her freedom‑of‑speech limits enforcement on private property and asked the council to take action: “As a Jewish resident in El Segundo, this is not okay, and this needs to stop,” she said. Council members asked staff to follow up; the mayor noted police had spent time talking with residents about the incident.
Jacob Grant (S17) raised privacy concerns about city surveillance, asking whether a program with a private vendor (referred to in the comment as Flock Safety) had council approval and whether the cameras used facial recognition. City Manager (S9) clarified that Flock provides contracted drone services and does not provide the city’s fixed building cameras; staff further clarified that the city’s ALPRs are license‑plate readers and that the city is not using facial recognition software. “Flock provides our drone. They don't provide our cameras,” the city manager said; city staff also said they would take Jacob’s questions to the police chief for follow up.
Barry Dalinski (S12) spoke for tennis players opposing painting permanent pickleball lines across existing tennis courts, arguing extra lines degrade play and complicate high‑school matches. He recommended building more dedicated pickleball courts or using temporary tape during peak demand. The city manager said planned repairs largely concern poles, foundation walls and fences and not court playing surfaces; Rec & Parks staff later said not all courts will be painted entirely for pickleball.
Next steps: staff to follow up with police and LADWP on the reported sign, the police chief to respond to surveillance questions and Rec & Parks staff to continue outreach about court repairs and paint plans.
