• Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Contact
  • About
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Midland County News Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology Gaming

Durham Council Moves Forward With Funding Shotspotter Gunfire Detection Technology – INDY Week

durham-council-moves-forward-with-funding-shotspotter-gunfire-detection-technology-–-indy-week
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Last April, police in Chicago shot and killed a 13-year-old child, Adam Toledo, after responding to gunfire detection alert technology ShotSpotter. Indeed, council members from Bull City invoked the Windy City and its use of ShotSpotter a number of times as they discussed, at length at a budget planning retreat last week, whether to bring SpotShotter to Durham. The concensus, by four votes to three, is that they will, and Durham will soon see see gunshot detection sensors installed and police alerted in the event of gunfire all over the city. 

Initially, ShotSpotter will come to Durham as a pilot program, funded in the budget for the next fiscal year for free for three months, and at a cost of $197,500 for the following nine months. The council will then evaluate whether to continue with the pilot. 

Council member Mark-Anthony Middleton said residents, many low-income, living in neighborhoods plagued with gun violence, and partners at institutions such as NC Central University, have told him they’re in favor of bringing ShotSpotter to Durham. He emphasizes the technology as a data-collecting pilot program opportunity that could save lives in communities where residents are so de-sensitized to gun violence, they don’t even call the police in the event of gunfire any more.  

“This, for me, is primarily about the belief in Durham that if you’re hurt, or in trouble, someone should come to see about you whether anyone calls 911 or not,” Middleton his fellow council members. “If in the process we find shell casings, if in the process there are perpetrators in the area, if in the process we can connect some dots and take repeat shooters off the streets, bonus. But first and foremost, when gunfire goes off in our city, God forbid someone should be hit and they’re lying in the street bleeding out because no one called. In Durham, someone should come for you.”

Council member Jillian Johnson, citing Toledo’s killing, noted that Chicago has been reevaluating its use of ShotSpotter and said she had “deep concerns” about bringing the technology to Durham in light of incidents like that one and new research that has emerged about the use of such technology in U.S. cities. She, along with Council member Charlie Reece, who is resigning from the council this week, pushed for more engagement with Durham residents and communities before committing to funding ShotSpotter, as the council did in 2019 when it was considering whether to use body-worn cameras for police officers. 

“There are some very diverging opinions about whether or not this technology makes sense for Durham, whether or not the technology works for the purpose intended, and even if it does work for the purpose intended, what that would mean for police response times,” Reece said. “And there are a ton of questions.”

Council member Javiera Caballero, a former Chicago resident, was clear about her divergent opinion on bringing ShotSpotter to Durham. Chicago has spent “an inordinate amount [of money] on policing and strategies like this, and their gun violence has not decreased, period,” Caballero said. 

“There is a lot of evidence out there that is not good technology,” Caballero said. “It is [owned by] a private corporation that makes money and pays off fear.”

“There are other ways to have real community safety,” Caballero added. “They’re hard and we all know, until we actually do something about regulating guns in this country, we will fail over and over again.”

Council members Leonardo Williams and Middleton pushed back on Reece’s, Johnson’s, and Caballero’s requests to slow-walk the process with more community engagement. 

“I don’t think we have much more time to do any more listening,” Williams said. “We have listened a lot. We have done research, surveys … this is one of the top issues, public safety. For us to have the luxury to just sit and not offer anything but hopes and prayers, that’s just not what the community wants, or at least the communities I am talking to.”

Middleton countered the references to Toledo’s killing with an anecdote of his own, from his time spent living in Brooklyn during the height of the crack epidemic.

“I remember distinctly getting up one morning and walking through Coffey Park and there was a body,” he said. “We heard the gunfire, we didn’t call the police, but somebody actually died, somebody actually got shot and they bled out in the night because no one came for them. This isn’t about violent crime, this isn’t about catching the bad guy. Like road kill, like an animal, this young man laid there and bled out in the night because no one came because we were so used to hearing gunfire.”

By the end of the conversation, it was clear to all—elections have consequences, and this last one in Durham has changed the dynamics among the majority of council members in terms of their approaches to policing and public safety. 


Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle. 

Follow Editor-in-Chief Jane Porter on Twitter or send an email to jporter@indyweek.com.

Midland County News Online

© 2021 Midland County News Online

Navigate Site

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Contact
  • About

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • DMCA Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • CCPA
  • Terms of Use

© 2021 Midland County News Online

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT