On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council approved a community camera system to be placed at 18th Street and A Street in the City of Antioch.
The system will include cameras from Odin Systems ($21,498.43) and Vigilant Solutions ($102,339.94) and I.C.R. Electric ($18,633).
Antioch Police Lt. Fortner explained to the council how much of an asset the cameras had been in solving crime and why they were recommending the expansion to the intersection of A Street at E 18th. Fortner noted the cameras would help the residents and businesses feel a sense of security while serving as a crime deterrent and crime solving tool for the police department.
These are the same cameras being utilized in the City of Brentwood and City of Pittsburg.
Meanwhile, the Antioch Police Department has license plate reader cameras at Sycamore Drive corridor, Cavallo Road at E 18th, and Lone Tree Way at Deer Valley which Fortner said have been helpful in recovery of stolen/wanted vehicles and solve numerous critical criminal cases and locate dangerous wanted subjects. Video is also used in cases or against claims against the city.
Fortner further highlighted the license plate reader assisted police in solving two homicides in the area of Cavallo and E 18th.
Crime data was also provided which highlighted that within a half-mile radius of A Street and E 18th, they had 308 reported crimes (PART 1) and that the area consistently creates a high volume of service with more than 5,775 calls for service last year. He said within 1-mile radius, the numbers jumped to 887 part 1 crimes and 18,000 calls for service.
Antioch currently has community cameras at the following locations:
- Marina
- Knoll Park
- City Hall
- Community Park
- Community Center
- Antioch Water and Skate Park
- Sycamore Drive Corridor
- Cavallo at East 18th.
During council discussion, Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker stated that the area they are talking about placing the camera has a lack of services and is under/over policed at the same time.
“To live in a community that is already hyper-surveyed under/over policed at the same time as well as which seems like an intentional like of services, support, intervention and prevention. In lieu of intervention, prevention, programs, services and support, we just over survey the community, over/under police the community and no real solution for safety,” explained Torres-Walker.
She continued by stating cameras and police do not deter violence.
“They might capture an incident, but they don’t deter violence. Just like law enforcement doesn’t deter violence. They show up after a harm has been committed,” stated Torres-Walker. “The most cameras in this city are in the community that has the least resources and support and its mind blowing to me that the community we are denying resources, we want to continue to over survey and over/under police and I think it’s nonsense tinkering around the edges rather than get into the root cause of crime in our community and that is why I will not be supporting it.”
The council made no other comments.
Prior to the vote, Mayor Lamar Thorpe stated he appreciated what Torres-Walker was saying and the approach in the past has been different by asking the police department to solve all the problems—homelessness, mental health, surveillance—and never about better equipping the community to deal with community balance.
“The conversation around school resource officers, had you asked other members of our community and not just the Chief of Police a group of very specific parents of Deer Valley High School, the solution to some of the issues that we were experiencing at the time may have had a different conversation,” stated Thorpe. “That has been our approach but from my perspective there is going to be a commitment in really looking at violence solutions that are community led moving forward.”
Thorpe noted these are very “huge” expenditures and District 1 who bares the brunt of all this surveillance and all the police along with lack of resources.
“Not only from the city, but also the county. So I recognize and I think we are heading in a different direction going forward,” stated Thorpe.
The item passed in two 4-1 vote with Torres-Walker dissenting.
15 comments
OMG does Tamisha even know what she is saying? Unless this was a misquote, she sounds like a complete idiot. How can the police over and under police at the same time? If the city doesn’t have resources, its because the city council and staff have failed to bring them to the city. That is still no reason to vote against providing a tool in solving crime for the police department.
BILL MOON! This is a prime example of how idiots operate! No surprise when you look at the participants.
The woman is totally stupid! Did you expect anything else? She not even supposed to be on the council. Antioch is now the laughing stock of the Bay Area with such “talent” calling the shots. Same goes for the village idiot “mayor.”
I applaud the efforts of the City Council on this matter. Antioch has a serious crime problem and the use of surveillance cameras have proven to be a very useful tool in helping to identify suspects and provide evidence to solving crime. They have been used very successfully in cities throughout the Bay Area.
As usual the statements made by Ms. Torres-Walker are ill informed and don’t even make sense.
‘“They show up after a harm has been committed,” stated Torres-Walker.
I remember once when they showed up while the harm was in progress. Kids on dirt bikes and quads causing problems on A St. near 18th. They probably saved a life or at least averted great bodily injury, but the kid’s mom showed up and shit all over those cops.
The Antioch city council reminds me of the detention room in high school. All the dumbasses making decisions. They wake up and think “how do we fuck this city up some more” #wokeamerica
In order to bring about a significant reduction in crime rates, parents need to do a better job in raising their children. Parents should instill a sense of responsible ethical behavior in their children. It would also help if our schools taught ethics courses and all teachers demonstrated ethical behaviors. Some simple examples include the reasons for not releasing trash from cars or not tossing waste materials onto another person’s property while walking to or from school.
What’s Mind Blowing to me is the fact Ms. Walker is allowed to keep up her constant Attack of the Antioch Police. Her bias opinion is insulting. A Police Presences Does Deter Crime. They can empty Romi’s Parking lot and the surrounding area just by Pulling Up. Ms. Walker What about Romi’s , Big O, Little Caesars, The Dairy, Mexican Store, Froster Freeze ,The Hotels ? Im sure Any BUSINESS within range of cameras would appreciate added protections. The ONLY people afraid of the camera’s are people breaking the law. The cameras are a TOOL to HELP police. You must acknowledge the Fact The police have a dangerous job? I
for one Want to know WHY you and the Mayor are hell bent on MAKING THEIR JOB THAT MUCH MORE DANGEROUS? Besides Your personal Vendetta has a 9minute documentary.
Google Antioch City Council Your Foul video pops up.
Stop please think of how you have affected the community’s image.
Oh that’s right you don’t care, The mayor doesn’t care. No repercussions , No investigation on, Your investigation on the incident in December? What happened Ms. Walker? Have the cameras documented something? Your doing all this because you can. And you are allowed to do it. Shamefully holding on to a position You said and I quote ” They think I give a f__k about bein on city council. I do not ” The right thing to do would be to step down. That fact You haven’t makes the whole city look bad. And makes the Current City Government Look Shady and Tacky.
Maybe Tamika could ask her people to stop committing crimes and violence all over the city.
Sign it now.
http://chng.it/nyy8KL6F
This is the recall petition to REMOVE THORP! Hurry and end this madness.
Great comment, DONNA, and totally true! Walker should be removed from that council. She got on it illegally!
She’s become a laughing stock, but a dangerous one. I’m afraid that our dedicated police officers will Antioch — where they are badly needed — and head for cities which appreciate their work more and will do whatever it takes to protect them which includes accepting equipment to help assure their safety and our’s. I also feel that our great Chief of Police might do the same.
TO THE CITIZEN THAT STARTED HOW WALKER IS AN IDIOT HIT IT RIGHT ON THE MONEY. SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT UNDER OR OVER MEANS. SHE VOTED AGAINST THIS BECAUSE HER DAMN KIDS ARE STILL DISRUPTING OUR DRIVERS ON PUBLIC STREETS WITH THEIR FRIENDS ON THE DIRT BIKES AND WITH THOSE CAMERAS IN PLACE THEY WILL HAVE THEM ON VIDEO. SHE’S A CAREER CRIMINAL WITH 22 ARRESTS AND A ARSON CHARGE. SHE HAS NO BUSINESS BEING IN THIS COUNSEL. SHE WANTS ANTIOCH TO BE HER GETTO!! FIRE HER NOW FOR DISRESPECTING IT CITY AND OFFICERS!
Walker should be removed immediately and Thorpe should be recalled. Without those two around, Monica Wilson might be OK unless she continues with this shit, then it’s time for her to go!
This bunch (most of them) make me so sick that I cannot watch them on Channel 24 as they further tear up our fine city. How could Antioch fall so low?
Why is that foul-mouthed POS still on the council? She should be dragged out of there by the scruff and thrown out! Why isn’t this being done? Same goes for this so-called “mayor.”
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