28 Freeway Shootings, 5 Bay Area Mayors Demand Action

Five East Bay mayors, including the mayor of El Cerrito, have sent a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown seeking immediate assistance in stopping a string of shootings on local freeways.

They asked for emergency funds to pay for cameras to be placed along I-80 that can record video, plus cameras at exit ramps with license plate readers to capture images of vehicles as they escape following shootings.

Saying that local communities are under siege, the letter was signed Thursday morning by Richmond Mayor Tom Bates, Hercules Mayor Dan Romero, El Cerrito Mayor Gregory Lyman, Pinole Mayor Roy Swearingen and San Pablo Mayor Richard Kinney.

Four people have been killed in the shootings, while just five arrests have been made since the shooting spree began last November.

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The California Highway Patrol has repeatedly said that the shootings are targeted and involve gang members, but that hasn’t calmed the fears of local residents who are afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

--Image via Shutterstock