Boston Police Chief Michael Cox defended his department's use of ShotSpotter technology, citing concerns from the City Council. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Boston's police chief says he won't delay signing a new contract for continued use of “lifesaving” ShotSpotter technology, raising concerns with city council members over its effectiveness and recognition of overuse in communities of color. ignored their concerns.
ShotSpotter, which installs audio-detecting sensors aimed at quickly transmitting gunshots for quick police response, came under the most scrutiny at Monday's City Council hearing on the police budget. Targeted — Given the April ACLU report, the technology can be ineffective and racially biased. The city's equipment contract expires next month.
“ShotSpotter is a very important technology that we have and use,” said Boston Police Chief Michael Cox. “That's what keeps us safe. This is really important for how we respond and deal with specific areas and issues and crimes.”
Cox said the technology could be useful in prosecutions and crime reconstructions, especially when shots are fired in the middle of the night and people in the area don't call 911.
But some City Council members aren't convinced, pointing to a report released last month by the American Civil Liberties Union and citing Boston Police Department public records that found that nearly 70% of ShotSpotter alerts in 2020 It was determined that there was no evidence of a shooting. -twenty two.
The ACLU further argued that the same city records show the technology is primarily used in communities of color, particularly Dorchester and Roxbury.
The report claims the city has ended its relationship with ShotSpotter and cites the example of the technology being exploded by a piñata at a birthday party, an incident that Cox alluded to as being “sensationalized” by the ACLU. said. By Louise Louiseune, President of the City Council.
“I don't think Piñata is the driver of a ShotSpotter call in general,” Cox said, adding that the technology is fairly accurate and can alert police faster than a 911 call, and that it “can save lives.” He added that he found it to be something that could be used to save people's lives.
Louisjeune was among the council members who called for a cost-benefit analysis, but questioned whether the “many false positives” made it worth renewing the contract.
“You said ShotSpotter saves lives and you're in public safety, and I think that's true,” Louiseune said. “You always have to balance it with civil liberties.”
The city's three-year contract with Sound Thinking, the California-based company that produces ShotSpotter, expires in June. A copy of the document released shows that the contract cost him $782,610. A BPD spokesperson would not confirm this.
When City Councilman Benjamin Weber suggested holding off until the City Council could hold a public hearing on what steps other cities have taken to address similar concerns, Cox said he would not agree to a new agreement. He said he had no intention of putting off signing the agreement.
More than 150 cities across the country are using the technology, but major cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, and Portland, Oregon, have opposed its use, calling the technology “expensive and racially biased.” “There is no effect,” CNN reported in February.
“We have no intention of slowing down the development of tools that will save lives in our city,” Cox said.
