Cameras Coming To East Bay Highways To Deter Shootings: Contra Costa Officials

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA -- Contra Costa County officials hope that by this summer a project will be underway to help law enforcement deter or capture people responsible for a series of shootings on two area roads, an official said Monday.

The project would put video cameras, shot spotter technology and license plate readers on Interstate Highway 80 and state Highway 4 from Cutting Boulevard in Richmond to Antioch, Senior Deputy District Attorney Mary Knox said.

A disproportionate number of shootings on Bay Area freeways have occurred in central and western Contra Costa County, with 36 since 2015. Eight people have died in the shootings.

Officials with the California Highway Patrol said in March that there had been 111 highway shootings in the Bay Area since the start of 2015.

The freeway project, which county and state leaders have said the money is available for, could cost as much as $1.5 million. The funds have been approved and will come from Caltrans, Melissa Figueroa, spokeswoman for the California State Transportation Agency, said.

The agency consists of other agencies such as Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The cameras to be installed will be able to move in the direction of the sound of a gun or guns and zoom in on the shooter's vehicle.

"We will have eyes on the freeway within seconds of the shooting," Knox said.

A task force commander will be able to see live video of the freeway. Also, the system will be able to send video or photos to nearby officers in their cars.

Knox said she has not heard of any privacy concerns related to the project. No one at either the American Civil Liberties Union or the Electronic Frontier Foundation was immediately available to comment.

The data will be stored by law enforcement and only accessible by law enforcement.

A working group has been working on a proposal for the project for the last year or so. The last details of the proposal are expected to be finalized in the next two to three weeks, Figueroa said.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Getty Images