The debate over Flock and license plate recognition often pits privacy against public safety, but that framing misses those who might benefit most, writes retired engineer and local landlord Darius Mohsenin. For lower-income, immigrant and other vulnerable communities, a stolen car or unresolved burglary can threaten a family’s livelihood, not just its property, he writes. With strict privacy safeguards, transparent oversight and limits on data use, LPR technology can provide a more precise, equitable tool for solving crimes and finding missing people. The question isn’t whether this technology is perfect; it’s whether we can improve and govern it responsibly rather than deny communities a potentially powerful layer of protection.
Darius Mohsenin
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz’s rental inspection and code enforcement is a Trojan horse for city overreach
Santa Cruz’s rental inspection program was created to protect tenants from unsafe housing, but property owner Darius Mohsenin argues it has evolved into a system focused more on permits, paperwork and minor violations than actual habitability. He contends that inspectors increasingly rely on bureaucratic enforcement rather than practical safety expertise, allowing complaints to trigger sweeping property inspections and costly citations. He urges the Santa Cruz City Council to refocus the program on genuine health and safety issues instead of what he sees as regulatory overreach that raises housing costs and strains relationships with property owners.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
It’s time to retire outdated voices in Santa Cruz housing decisions
Darius Mohsenin says he goes to most Santa Cruz housing meetings and he’s tired of the “gray hairs,” who purchased their property decades ago, complaining. “Their objections follow a tiring, predictable pattern,” he writes, naming concerns about water, construction emissions, temporary disturbances to local wildlife, traffic congestion or simply aesthetic preferences about building heights. “These arguments ignore the reality that concentrating housing and traffic in our downtown core is precisely what sustainable urban planning calls for. It reduces sprawl, promotes walkability and creates vibrant community spaces.”
