Good morning, readers.
ShotSpotter is back on the Durham city council agenda. We covered the controversial technology back in 2019, when local officials were first pitched the idea of audio sensors placed around the city that could pick up the sound of gunshots and send a report to police.
In 2022, city council voted 4-3 to approve a $200,000 year-long pilot period in parts of east and southeast Durham. That pilot ended in December, and the council has been waiting for a data review from the Wilson Center at Duke University.
That review is in—along with an upcoming vote on a $658,500 three-year contract to continue using ShotSpotter in the Bull City.
The Wilson Center found that in the pilot area, police response times improved by 1.2 minutes. The technology helped police find evidence in 71 cases and led to seven arrests. But it’s still not clear if it helped reduce gun violence overall.
Detractors have argued that the money should be used to address the root causes of crime; supporters argue that the tech is worth it if it can save even one life.
“In the communities that ShotSpotter is set up in, these are communities where no one calls 911. If you hear a shot, everybody goes on with their business,” resident Jontae Dunston told the council last week.
The council is expected to vote on the three-year contract at the next City Council meeting on March 4.
Have a good Tuesday,
—Chase
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Today’s weather
Cloudy with a chance of rain, a high of 67 degrees.
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