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Ripple extends free rent for SFPD surveillance hub through 2032

Ripple extends free rent for SFPD surveillance hub through 2032

Money Moves San Francisco, CA local

A $5.5 million gift keeps the Real Time Investigation Center in donated downtown office space for another five and a half years.

Yesterday: Extension reported, awaits votes

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

San Francisco's police surveillance unit has run rent-free out of a downtown office tower for a year and a half. A new resolution would let it stay through March 2032, on a gift from cryptocurrency company Ripple Labs valued at $5.5 million.

The extension deepens a private donor's role in funding public police technology. Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen has paid for cameras, drones and now office space, as the city debates how much surveillance it wants and who should pay for it.

Why it matters

A private donor is covering the rent for a police surveillance hub, letting the unit grow without the city budgeting for its space.

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Key Indicators

$5.5M
Value of rent-free extension
Ripple covers roughly $1 million a year in rent through March 2032.
1,700
Arrests linked to surveillance unit
SFPD says the Real Time Investigation Center contributed to at least this many arrests.
$1M
Annual rent covered by Ripple
The city pays nothing for the 14,759-square-foot space.
5.5 years
Length of extension
The sublease would run through March 2032, with a 2030 opt-out.
14,759
Square feet of donated office space
Located at 315 Montgomery St. in downtown San Francisco.

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People Involved

Chris Larsen
Chris Larsen
Co-founder and executive chairman of Ripple Labs
Active funder of SFPD surveillance technology
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Introduced the extension resolution
 Matt Dorsey
Matt Dorsey
San Francisco Supervisor, District 6
Co-sponsored the extension resolution
 Rafael Mandelman
Rafael Mandelman
San Francisco Supervisor, District 8
Co-sponsored the extension resolution
 Evan Sernoffsky
Evan Sernoffsky
Spokesperson, San Francisco Police Department
Publicly supports the arrangement
 Bill Scott
Bill Scott
Former San Francisco Police Chief
Described the original sublease as temporary

Organizations Involved

Ripple Labs
Ripple Labs
Payments company built on XRP
Donor of office space and drone funding

Cryptocurrency payments company that donated the SFPD's surveillance office space and is extending the free rent through 2032.
San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
Police Department
Beneficiary of the donated space

The city police department whose Real Time Investigation Center operates from Ripple's donated downtown office space.
RT
Real Time Investigation Center
Police surveillance unit
Occupant of the donated office space

SFPD unit that investigates suspected crimes remotely using license plate readers, street cameras and drones.
SF
San Francisco Police Community Foundation
Nonprofit
Funded the department's drone program

Nonprofit founded by Chris Larsen that gifted the SFPD $7.4 million for its drone-as-first-responder program.
Flock Safety
Flock Safety
Technology company
Supplies license plate readers used by the unit

Company that makes the license plate readers used by the Real Time Investigation Center.

Timeline

2024 November 2026

5 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Extension reported, awaits votes

    Latest News

    Mission Local reports the $5.5 million gift; it needs committee and Board approval.

  2. Lurie introduces extension resolution

    Legislation

    Mayor Daniel Lurie introduces a resolution extending the sublease to March 2032.

  3. Ripple gifts office space and drone funding

    Funding

    Ripple gifts SFPD 14,759 square feet; Larsen's foundation adds $7.4 million for drones.

  4. Surveillance unit moves in

    Operations

    The Real Time Investigation Center begins operating from the donated downtown space.

  5. Larsen bankrolls surveillance measure

    Policy

    Chris Larsen funds a ballot measure easing San Francisco's regulation of surveillance technology.

Scenarios

1

Board approves free-rent extension through 2032

Likely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: Mission Local, which reports the resolution is expected to pass

The Budget and Finance Committee advances the resolution and the full Board of Supervisors approves it, keeping the Real Time Investigation Center at 315 Montgomery through March 2032. The city absorbs no rent cost; Ripple covers roughly $1 million a year.

2

Supervisors attach privacy conditions or shorten the term

Possible Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: Privacy advocates and supervisors critical of Flock cameras and drones

The Board approves a modified extension, adding reporting requirements, limiting the term, or tying the space to new surveillance rules. The unit stays but under tighter oversight.

3

Extension stalls amid surveillance backlash

Unlikely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: Critics of police surveillance and Flock cameras

Privacy objections and election-cycle controversy over Flock cameras delay or sink the resolution. The unit's free rent lapses or continues on a short-term basis while the city searches for permanent space.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2024

San Francisco's 2024 surveillance measure

Chris Larsen bankrolled a San Francisco ballot measure that eased regulation of surveillance technology. The measure reduced restrictions on how the city could deploy cameras and other tools.

Then

The measure passed, loosening rules that had required closer oversight of police surveillance.

Now

It set the stage for expanded camera and drone use, including the Real Time Investigation Center.

Why this matters now

The same donor now funds the office space for the unit that the measure helped enable.

2025

Ripple's 2025 office gift and drone funding

Ripple gifted the police department 14,759 square feet at 315 Montgomery St., valued at about $2 million. A foundation Larsen founded added $7.4 million for the drone-as-first-responder program.

Then

The surveillance unit moved into rent-free downtown space.

Now

The arrangement was meant to be temporary, but the new resolution extends it to 2032.

Why this matters now

The extension more than doubles the value of the original gift and makes the arrangement long-term.

Sources

(1)
Mission Local