Vallejo City Council Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Open Vallejo

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams is sworn into office under the gaze of a city surveillance camera on Nov. 12, 2019. A BuzzFeed News investigation found that Vallejo was one of more than 1,800 public entities to use a facial recognition technology so powerful, it is the subject of numerous lawsuits and several government probes. A Vallejo police spokesperson said the department’s command staff were unaware of its use prior to being contacted for comment by Open Vallejo.

News

Vallejo police secretly tested ‘dystopian’ facial recognition tool

by Brian Howey April 13, 2021April 29, 2025

Vallejo City Councilmember Hakeem Brown, right, attends the swearing-in of Police Chief Shawny Williams last November. Elected to the council in 2018, Brown has rapidly consolidated political power by aligning himself with Vallejo’s powerful public safety unions.

‘Domestic violence bordering on torture’: Records reveal years of allegations against Vallejo councilmember

by Geoffrey King October 13, 2020August 10, 2025