The state of California continues its investment in East Bay public safety as it begins installing hundreds of high-tech cameras to aid law enforcement, according to a news release from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office Friday.
The network of 480 cameras will help identify vehicles linked to crimes using real-time information and alerts, the release says.
The California Highway Patrol has contracted with Flock Safety to install 290 cameras within the city of Oakland and 180 on state freeways in the East Bay.
Jose Ortiz owns La Perla on Fruitvale Avenue and has seen firsthand how cameras can track criminals in the act. He installed his own cameras in an attempt to protect his restaurant and his customers.
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“We can read any license plate in the back, parking lot or in the front of La Perla where the Oakland police uses constantly,” he said.
Ortiz is part of a group of business owners threatening to withhold city tax payments until the city is safer.
He’s glad to hear the governor is now promising cameras throughout Oakland and the East Bay in an effort to reduce crime, but Ortiz is also questioning why action is being taken now.
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“There is a lot of questions to be asking over here because suddenly he has 480 cameras, who is going to benefit from that? The owner of the camera? Why now? It should’ve been in place a long time ago,” said Ortiz.
"This investment marks another step forward in our commitment to bolstering public safety and tackling organized crime and roadway violence in Oakland and across California," Newsom said in a statement. "With the installation of this 480 high-tech camera network, we're equipping law enforcement with the tools they need to effectively combat criminal activity and hold perpetrators accountable — building safer, stronger communities for all Californians."
The cameras enable better vehicle recognition so law enforcement can search for crime-linked vehicles by vehicle type, make, color, license plate state, missing or covered plates, and other unique features such as bumper stickers, decals and roof racks, the governor's office says.
“We need them and we have been waiting for them to arrive in Oakland, so it is great to see the governor is moving with urgency … every technology tool that we can use to support OPD, to partner with CHP, to increase our response time and hopefully bring community justice, that is what is needed,” said councilmember Treva Reid.
Hundreds of cameras were promised by governor Newsom in 2022. Caltrans says while all of them have been installed, many won't be fully operational until mid-April.
Councilmember Noel Gallo says the technology is long overdue.
“On the political end, it's campaign time. I’m going to promise you the world but he has to deliver because election time is coming up,” he said.
Not all cameras are new, the city confirms the 300 Oakland cameras are the same cameras promised in October by Mayor Sheng Thao. In a statement, Mayor Thao explained the new network will help stop crime and hold more suspects accountable.
But not everyone agrees it’s the right solution. The Anti-Police Terror Project believes money would be better spent investing in violence prevention programs
“Instead of trying something new, instead of putting in cameras and following an unproven strategy and unproven tactic, why don’t we make sure that the things that are working right now in the city of Oakland are not torn apart due to the budget crisis,” said James Burch of the Anti-Police Terror Project.
Footage from the cameras will be stored no more than 28 days, won't be disclosed to third parties and will comply with all state data privacy laws, the state says.
