Stop shotspotter
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So weird he’s extending it before canceling it. From the previous article explaining why:
The police department will work to "revamp operations," enact new training and "further develop response models to gun violence that ultimately reduce shootings," before the contract ends in September, the mayor's office said. Also before the new deadline, the department will issue recommendations after it works with violence prevention organizations and other stakeholders to assess "various tools, data and programs."
LOL can you imagine if the recommended data and tools is, oh I don’t know, to use SHOTSPOTTER?
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As I linked a while ago, there's some controversy as to how effective ShotSpotter is. False alarms may be diverting police resources from actual threats.
OTOH, the fact that (Let's Go!) Brandon Johnson is renewing the contract only until after the Democrats' convention in Chicago smacks me as being more than a bit cynical.
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"My pronouns are FA/FO." - Mik, 2024
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Yup, we have a bit of that kind of thing in my town. "Did you know that there's a disproportionate number of traffic stops involving minorities relative to the population of our town??"
Yeah, but did you know that 87% of the crime comes from the community directly to the east - so maybe that accounts for the "disproportionate number" that you just referenced.
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Brandon Johnson kills a technology that detects shootings and saves lives.
ShotSpotter uses acoustic technology to detect gunfire and dispatches law enforcement to scenes of violence before 911 calls come in. Chicago has deployed the technology since 2012, mainly in its south and west sides. The University of Chicago Crime Lab found it likely saves about 85 lives a year.
The system has detected more than 200,000 gun shots in the 13 months ending in August. Even Mr. Johnson must think the technology works since in February he extended the contract through the summer, which is when gun violence typically peaks and the city hosted the Democratic National Convention.
But last week he said he’d let the ShotSpotter contract expire, calling it a waste of money. He may be taking his cues from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who charged in May that ShotSpotter perpetuates “over-policing and unjustified surveillance” in minority neighborhoods.
The City Council disagreed and voted 33-14 to give Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling the power to override the mayor’s office. “If one life is saved with gunshot detection technology, then it is absolutely worth having,” Alderman Ray Lopez said.
Alderman Brian Hopkins, chair of the council’s public safety committee, is threatening to go to court to keep ShotSpotter. It’s tempting to say the people of Chicago are getting the progressive rule they voted for, but no one deserves this mayor of criminal mayhem.
