Newsom announces 480 cameras in Oakland and East Bay freeways
A total of 480 new cameras will be installed in Oakland and on East Bay freeways, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday. A total of 480 new cameras will be installed in Oakland and East Bay freeways, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. 290 cameras are expected to be deployed on and around surface streets in Oakland, while 190 will be deployed along state highways in the East Bay. The cameras will use technology that identifies vehicle attributes beyond license plate numbers, enabling law enforcement agencies to search for vehicles suspected to be linked to crimes and receive real-time alerts about their movements. Privacy concerns were addressed, with the cameras retaining their videos for 28 days and not sharing them with third parties beyond California law enforcement. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said the cameras will help reduce crime and hold suspects accountable.
Published : 4 weeks ago by KTVU staff in
A total of 480 new cameras will be installed in Oakland and on East Bay freeways, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday.
Newsom's office said that 290 of the cameras are expected to be deployed on and around surface streets in the city of Oakland and 190 cameras will be deployed along state highways in the East Bay.
Newsom said that the California Highway Patrol has entered into a contract with Flock Safety to install the cameras to "combat criminal activity and freeway violence."
Newsom said the camera network will use technology that allows law enforcement agencies to identify vehicle attributes beyond license plate numbers, enabling the CHP, the Oakland Police Department, and other agencies to search for vehicles suspected to be linked to crimes and receive real-time alerts about their movement.
"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 both a written and video 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."
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said that improving public safety and addressing quality of life issues in Oakland is her "top priority."
In a joint-statement with the governor, Thao said that this new camera network will "help us stop crime and hold more suspects accountable."
The camera network is like the automated license plate reader technology but will also allow police to search for "crime-linked" vehicles by type, make, color, license plate state, missing/covered plates, and other features like bumper stickers, decals, and roof racks. The system also enables real-time crime alerts, alerting authorities when a suspected crime-linked vehicle is spotted by the network.
Addressing privacy concerns, Newsom's office said that the cameras will retain the videos for 28 days, and that footage will not be disclosed to third parties beyond California law enforcement, meaning that it won't be shared with ICE.
While last year, the CHP reported a drop in freeway shootings, KTVU has noted that from 2021 to 2023, Bay Area freeway shootings are double that of Los Angeles.
Many have cited the lack of cameras on the highway as one of the many reasons that shooters continue to fire off their guns without consequences.