The San Leandro Police Department on Tuesday will ask city leaders to approve a network of surveillance cameras throughout the city.
The request comes as mayors and law enforcement agencies across the East Bay are calling for more surveillance cameras following a string of deadly highway shootings.
The department wants to set up the cameras on major thoroughfares, covering key streets that border the city of Oakland as well as access roads near Interstate 880.
"Historically, they have been some of the hot spots in our community," police Chief Abdul Pridgen said.
The department said the cameras will not be installed in residential neighborhoods.
At a time when the department is looking to fill officer vacancies, Pridgen said a camera network is cheaper than hiring a new officer.
"We know we can leverage this technology to make our community safer," he said. "We think the cost is well worth the expense."
The push for more surveillance cameras is of major interest to Carl Chan of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. He has been lobbying the city and the state to set up surveillance cameras along Oakland interstates following the recent freeway shooting deaths of David Nguyen, Jasper Wu and Amani Morris.
"Many victims of crime may not be able to describe their attackers, who did it and what might have happened, but with the cameras, we believe it’s going to be a good tool to fight crime," he said.
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Not everyone is on board with the camera idea.
"I think it's an unwarranted increase in police surveillance," Mike Katz-Lacabe said.
Katz-Lacabe plans to log on to Tuesday night's city council meeting to raise some concerns.
