- Chris Larsen of Ripple Labs proposes a $9.4 million donation to fund the San Francisco Police Department’s surveillance unit and its relocation.
- The financial package awaits approval from the city’s board of supervisors.
- The San Francisco Police’s “Real-Time Investigations Center” is set to move from the Hall of Justice to an upgraded space at 315 Montgomery Street, provided rent-free by Ripple Labs.
- Of the funds, $7.25 million will buy drones, specialized software, and computer equipment, including a high-tech “video wall.”
- Experts have raised concerns about increasing police surveillance capabilities and oversight regarding the use of donated funds.
Chris Larsen, co-founder of Ripple Labs, is offering a $9.4 million donation to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) to enhance its surveillance operations and finance a move to new offices in downtown San Francisco. The city’s board of supervisors must approve this initiative before it advances.
The proposed donation would support the SFPD’s “Real-Time Investigations Center.” According to city documents, the plan includes retroactively covering relocation expenses as the unit moves from the aging San Francisco Hall of Justice to a modern office at 315 Montgomery Street. Ripple Labs will sublet this space to the police at no cost. The financial package includes $7.25 million earmarked for twelve drones, surveillance software, and several years of parking fees. Of that sum, $1.6 million would go toward a new “video wall” and updated computer hardware. Additional funding would cover card readers, moving expenses, and other facility needs.
Records show the funds come through the San Francisco Police Community Foundation, a nonprofit linked to Larsen. He is a known supporter of expanded police surveillance capabilities in the city and previously spent $250,000 to advance related ballot measures.
Some experts have voiced concern about how such donations may boost surveillance power without public oversight. Surveillance policy specialist Matthew Guariglia told Mission Local, “Not only do you not have control over what technology police use and how they use it, you also can’t even claim the reins that says that, ‘We can control how much money the police department gets.’”
The SFPD already uses drones to help track and apprehend suspects, as shown in a recent incident involving an auto burglary crew.
Larsen is also known for being the victim of a major security breach. In a separate event, he lost $150 million worth of XRP cryptocurrency after the password management service LastPass was compromised. Following this, he sent $100 million in XRP to the Coinbase exchange; sending crypto to an exchange is commonly viewed as a signal that funds may be sold.
On the regulatory side, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently dropped some cases against Ripple Labs. The company and the SEC reached a $50 million settlement, even after earlier lobbying reportedly strained relations between Ripple and government officials.
For more details and full documentation, reference the official ordinance document and coverage from Mission Local.
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