Antioch mayor vows transparency, more police after string of gun violence

ANTIOCH, Calif. - Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe and members of the police department assured the public on Wednesday that they would be more transparent with the public and beef up efforts to combat the violent crimes that have wreaked havoc across the city in recent weeks.

Hernandez-Thorpe said at a news conference at City Hall that most of the violence that the city has recently experienced has been in a three-block radius in the Sycamore corridor. The mayor said he was told that 15 casings were found at one shooting site.

"We are working tirelessly to bring an end to the violence," Hernandez-Thorpe said. "Everybody has a deep level of hurt and disappointment in what we're seeing. And of course, a lot of anger."

Capt. Joe Vigil said some of the shootings in the Sycamore area appear to be related to retaliatory violence involving warring factions.

"We suspect there are some gang undertones," Vigil said. "Our detectives are trying to flesh that out to see how much of that is accurate."

Antioch police have seen its ranks thin significantly because of a racist text-message scandal and a federal corruption case. But police say the department’s regaining some ground with the help of new officers undergoing field training.

"Right now we have seven officers in FTO (field training)," Vigil said. "We have another 12 officers in the police academy, and we have six more starting the academy in two weeks."

Realizing that many community members feel scared and unsafe, Hernandez-Thorpe said he hopes to provide a daily briefing on social media and email to update the public on what's going on in the city.

He also said the police will send out extra patrols in the Sycamore neighborhood, and that he will be proposing to spend $100,000 for additional overtime for police and mutual aid.

The mayor said he is trying to get the Contra Costa County DA's office and an outside law-enforcement agency that he wouldn't identify to help with criminal activity, including getting drug activity off the streets.

"I'll continue to be out in the community to make sure that we're, we're going to be doing what we're supposed to be doing," he said.

September has seen an especially large number of shootings.

There have been a dozen shootings in the first half of the month, including the death earlier this month of Elijah Scales, 20, who was killed near a strip mall at L Street and Sycamore Drive.

A pregnant woman also dodged gunfire from a stray bullet that entered her home on Sept. 16.

Over the weekend, the mayor called for help from law enforcement agencies in neighboring cities after a homeless man and his mother were wounded in a Sunday shooting outside a Rite Aid drug store at A and East 18th streets.

"I want to make that commitment to the residents of Antioch, regardless of where you live in this city, whether you live in the hills or you live in Sycamore, everybody in this community deserves peace and tranquility," Hernandez-Thorpe said. "And I will continue to pursue tougher actions if needed."

Antioch City Councilmember Lori Ogorchock has often clashed with the mayor politically. But when it comes to public safety, she said city leaders need to put their differences aside.

"We need to fix the problem. We don’t need to put a band-aid on the issue. We need to fix it and find a way to keep that area safe," Ogorchock said. "We need to find solutions together – not individually, together, and we need to work with the community in that area."

The mayor sounded a stern warning to those responsible for the recent violence.

"We are going to find you. We’re going to hold you accountable and you will pay the price for what you’ve done," Hernandez-Thorpe said. "And the day you find yourself in court, I will be right there in your sentencing hearing to ensure they lock you up and put you away for a long time." 

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan