CLEVELAND — No vote today on a proposal to expand ShotSpotter in Cleveland.
The City Council Safety Committee discussed the gunshot detection technology during a four-hour meeting.
Council members had a lot of questions for the tech company and the administration.
ShotSpotter was launched in the 4th District, over three square miles, in 2020 as part of a two-year test pilot.
The proposal would expand the coverage an additional 13 square miles and the expansion would come with a more than $2.7 million price tag.
Safety Director Karrie Howard says ShotSpotter is invaluable to public safety, expedites response times and is a life saver.
Police Chief Wayne Drummond says the vast majority of people in the 4th District aren’t calling 911 about gunshots.
"Maybe folks are desensitized to the gunfire that's in their communities and so forth and that's why I believe the gunshot technology and specifically ShotSpotter in Cleveland is so important that we continue,” said Drummond.
"A lot of residents do not still understand about this technology they want to see more prevention plans added to this 2.7 million only to ShotSpotter; they don't believe all this money should go to this one technology,” said Councilwoman Deborah Gray.
Drummond says if approved, the plan is to have the District 4 commander explain the technology to the community.
Other council members also expressed concern about the cost, and want a thorough review of the contract to see how the data is used.
The legislation was rescheduled.
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