Solvang, the self-proclaimed “Danish Capital of America,” is reconsidering a plan that would use AI-powered cameras to monitor its roughly 5,000 residents and millions of annual visitors.
In July 2025, the Solvang City Council approved a three-year agreement with XIT Solutions to install Verkada surveillance cameras at several locations. The planned sites include Solvang City Hall and the City Hall Annex, Solvang Park outside the public restrooms, First Street, Alisal Road at Oak Street and Alisal Road at Copenhagen Drive.
But amid rising public concern about surveillance networks operated by companies such as Verkada and Flock Safety, city officials are preparing to take another look at Solvang’s AI camera policy.
“We said yes to an installation organisation, XIT Solutions … What we didn’t do was investigate what the camera technology really does and where the data gets stored and who has access to it and who’s governing that access to it,” Councilmember Elizabeth Orona said during the City Council meeting on Sept. 14.
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Orona also pointed to a previous security breach, saying, “[The] camera company has been hacked, and their super admin credentials have been compromised.”
She said the review was especially important as Solvang considers expanding its use of artificial intelligence, facial recognition and license plate recognition technology.
“There is no California law in place for facial recognition anymore. So only our policy is in between the public’s expectation of some level of privacy and what we’re doing with that content and how we’re governing it and who has access to it and how secure it is,” Councilmember Orona said.
The debate in Solvang came one day before the Santa Barbara City Council also put its Verkada plans on hold. According to the Santa Barbara News-Press, the city will not sign a contract with the company until it completes a comprehensive review of its license plate reader policy.