SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — El Cajon residents are calling for action to make the streets safer as the city deals with years of speeding issues that have led to serious accidents.
About 80 community members attended a town hall meeting on Tuesday night to address the growing concerns and find solutions.
Recent incidents include a March crash that left a car split in half and sent three people to the hospital. This past weekend, a hit-and-run driver sped through an intersection and spun out, crashing into a family of four.
During the meeting, community members shared ideas to fix the problem, including more driver education, rumble strips, and speed bumps. However, most attendees asked for an increased police presence and stricter enforcement.
"A lot more officers out writing tickets because then people realize, oh this is where they always have people to write tickets. It hits you in the pocketbook," one resident said.
Lynn Dougall, who has lived in the area with her husband for 20 years, attended the meeting to voice her frustration.
"Horrible. People are going 80 miles an hour on Jamacha, blowing through red lights," Dougall said.
"It's progressively getting worse over the last 5 years. It's gotten much worse," Dougall said.
Mayor Bill Wells, the police chief, and other city leaders listened to the suggestions and explained why certain measures would or would not work.
One option the city is exploring is a pilot program to install 4 automated warning systems across the city, tracking drivers and sending warnings to those caught going more than 20 miles over the posted speed limit.
Several people, including Dougall, expressed doubt that the proposed automated warning systems would be effective.
"They're not gonna care about a warning and if they're going that fast, how is the camera actually gonna get thee driver's - their license plate," Dougall said.
City officials said Tuesday's meeting is just the beginning of the conversation. They plan to incorporate the community's feedback into a future city council meeting for formal discussion.
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