Durham, N.C. — Durham’s police chief on Thursday morning addressed council members, outlining how the city could benefit from ShotSpotter technology designed to detect gunshots and pinpoint their location.
The majority of Durham City Council supported bringing ShotSpotter technology to Durham. It would cost $198,000 to pilot the technology in a 3-square mile radius of the city over the course of one year.
The technology is in use in other cities across the country, and it is controversial.
Some believe it leads to unnecessary and even violent encounters with police. Others credit it with faster law enforcement times and allowing police to better solve crimes.
Thursday’s conversation about ShotSpotter among council members was tense and led to some personal attacks and the exchange of harsh words.
Durham’s mayor even had to step in to address an attendee who called another “childish,” saying, “It’s not kind. It’s not mature. And we have to set the tone.”
Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews reassured the council she will approach the new technology with scrutiny and a commitment to do things correctly. She said the department has partnered with Duke University researchers to help analyze the data the pilot year provides.
Andrews also mentioned vacancies in the Durham Police Department, with sworn staffing at 82%.
The last time the police chief spoke with city council members, she mentioned the recent police pay raise is already making a dent in helping to recruit and retain officers, but she said the raise is just scratching the surface of what they need to fight crime.
Last week, Andrews delivered her first quarter crime report, saying another big impediment is not having enough help from the community.
She that while officers have only solved one of the 11 homicides from the first three months of the year, they could make arrests in two more homicides today – if only key witnesses would cooperate.
She says officers have identified suspects or “persons of interest” in 70% of the 11 homicide cases.
