The price tag is a big drop from the $1 million initially proposed, but the company itself created the lease program in response to the widespread economic constraints faced by municipalities. Also on Monday, the city will accept a $250,000 technology grant that will be used to cover the initial cost of installing cameras and monitors for the system. The meeting is 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
Plaintalker's file on the matter includes this ShotSpotter commentary from last September, before the lease plan was offered. Meanwhile, the city has had numerous homicides and shootings, including a recent incident in which a gunman fired toward a city pool with children and staff present. At Monday's agenda-fixing session, Police Director Martin Hellwig said the latest homicide and the pool shooting remain under investigation, but a suspect has been identified in the fatal West Fourth Street incident.
Councilman William Reid, a critic of the ShotSpotter program, was absent Monday, but has voiced his view that increased police manpower is needed more than a gun detection system that records shootings after the fact. However, the grant proposed for approval Aug. 15 can only be used for technology.
If the ShotSpotter plan is implemented, Councilman Adrian Mapp asked for "metrics and data at mid-point to see if we are getting what we pay for." Councilman Cory Storch said he wants technology to be used, but asked what is being done to provide jobs for youth and other crime deterrents to avoid a piecemeal approach. He said he is "not completely convinced" on ShotSpotter, raising the issue of possible misdirection in which a planned shooting might bring a police response while another crime is carried out elsewhere.
Hellwig said the program saved one municipality millions of dollars in legal fees when it was able to detect the sequence of events in the case of an alleged shooting of a civilian by a police officer. The system can detect the number and type of guns used as well as the direction of firing, among its attributes.
The company offers lease options from one to three years, Hellwig said. Asked what would happen next year if the program continued after the grant expired, Hellwig said the cost would have to be paid out of city funds.
The new lease option was announced in May, with council action expected in June. But lingering concerns about its efficacy remained. A vote now seems imminent.
"I think we have talked about ShotSpotter for too long," Council President Annie McWilliams said Monday. I think we should move forward."
--Bernice
I still think Shot-Spotter is a waste of grant money and seldom agree with Councilman Reid, but I'm with him here. I would feel better if we could use this money to improve our police force and put more cops on the streets. I don't think the criminal element in this town cares about cameras or Shot-Spotter, as they will be blocks away before police can respond.
ReplyDeleteits a waste of money. Put in cameras and you have my vote. They can at least make a witness when someone is shooting or robbing or drugging or hooking, etc etc etc.
ReplyDeleteA combination of the shot spotter system and cameras appears to be a good combination. I think it is worth a try especially since it is a one year lease commitment to test the system.
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