The Tacoma Police Department has announced the planned deployment of ShotSpotter technology to combat gun violence in the city. As reported by KIRO 7, the system utilizes a network of microphones that can detect and locate gunfire incidents within a two square mile radius, providing real-time alerts to law enforcement. Chief Avery Moore of the Tacoma Police Department views ShotSpotter as an integral part of his Violent Crime Reduction Plan, aiming to enable officers to promptly reach the scene, aid victims, gather evidence, and potentially apprehend offenders.
However, according to a statement obtained by FOX 13 Seattle, the ACLU of Washington has dismissed ShotSpotter as fueling racial disparity in policing and posing a threat to privacy and civil liberties. They assert, "Automated gunshot location systems like ShotSpotter do not reduce gun violence, and instead, they fuel racial disparity in policing and disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities. Through an extensive network of microphones placed in neighborhoods, this surveillance technology also poses risks to people’s privacy and civil liberties, and can chill free speech and deter free association. Cities in Washington should not line up to be a beta test for technology that has already been rejected by other cities like Chicago for being ineffective, dangerous, and an expensive waste of public funds."
Moving forward with the plan, the Tacoma Police Department is inviting the community to participate in informative meetings where details about the ShotSpotter deployment will be shared. These sessions promise to offer an in-depth understanding of the technology and address its role in police work. As detailed by KOMO News, TPD stresses the importance of community engagement in these discussions about the system that has been set to initially launch in the Hosmer area, known for its higher incidence of crime.
Chief Moore has responded to concerns about the ShotSpotter, stating, "The equipment detects gunfire, and gunfire has no ethnicity to it. So, it will be based on the evidence that my entire crime plan has been based on," according to an interview by FOX 13 Seattle. The implementation of the technology follows what Moore cited as a successful reduction in crime through frequent "hotspot" patrols, leading to a 30% drop in crime as per previous directives given to officers to focus on areas like South Hosmer Street. Despite pushback from civil liberties groups, the Tacoma Police Department remains firm on its course to leverage ShotSpotter in its fight against gun violence.
