Posted on 12/08/2013 12:30:46 PM PST by Q-ManRN
The City Council has given the Police Department the green light to expand the coverage area and scope of the gunshot recognition system it will deploy in an effort to help reduce gun violence in the city.
Video surveillance cameras will also be purchased for the two areas.
The ShotSpotter technology and the surveillance cameras will be integrated into the Police Department's Real Time Crime Center, enabling police to direct the cameras to the area where gunshots originate.
But at the urging of the City Council Public Safety Committee, the city manager was asked to find ways to expand the ShotSpotter system into areas of the city not eligible for CSX mitigation funds where gun violence has been a problem as well.
"This is not a be-all, end-all to stopping gun violence in our city, but it gives the police another tool," Mr. Eddy said. "Expanding this program is a positive step forward; it says we value every community in this city."
The chief said ShotSpotter will give police a better idea of where gun violence is occurring in the city, thus allowing his department to shift more resources in those areas.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegram.com ...
This article starts with the assumption that increased surveillance will "help reduce gun violence in the city." However, the surveillance technology works by detecting gunshots; so, "gun violence" would have already occurred for that system to work.
Next, the article says the gunshot detectors will allow police to direct the cameras that way. Once again, this action would occur after shots have already been fired; so, it is not clear how the system would reduce criminal violence.
Then, the police chief assures readers that the surveillance system will help police determine where people are getting shot in order to move police there. First, I find it hard to believe that it is hard to figure out where shootings frequently occur. Most law-abiding people are quick to notify police when gun shots are fired in their vicinity. And it should not take too much police work to figure out where victims were shot in most cases.
Second, police and most residents already know where the high crime areas in their town or city are located. According to this article, the Public Safety Committee requests additional surveillance in areas known to have violent crime; therefore, finding areas of frequent violent crime does not appear to be a problem.
Third, criminals can always move their activities to different areas.
Furthermore, residents are told that the surveillance system "is not a be-all, end-all to stopping gun violence in our city". Translation: the surveillance system will not reduce violent crime, but it will give police a great tool to spy on citizens.
Finally, someone needs to tell those folks that guns do not commit violent crimes, people commit violent crimes. The residents would do better to focus on criminals instead of focusing on guns.
New England liberal gun control foolishness.
Great news. Now the coroner will know exactly where to pick up the body AFTER the crime has been commited.
So are they now ahead of Oceania or not?
Lol! I like the sarcasm!
Government is all about misallocation of capital for a political purpose.
This technology has little to do with guns. That’s just the excuse they’re using to roll it out.
I thought guns were already illegal there.
Firecrackers....
Recorded gunshots and a really nice sound system drive the man crazy.
How could this be happening in Woostah, Massachusetts?
It’s illegal for anyone to have a gun in MA, isn’t it?
No. We have guns here.
You're probably right. More than likely they're buying this equipment only because the Mayor's brother-in-law needs the business.
That sure helps the person who gets shot.
You get a gold star!
1010RD wrote:
Government is all about misallocation of capital for a political purpose.
And it should be the responsibility of every freedom-loving citizen of Worcestor to seek out the location of the monitoring stations and destroy them.
These things are not being installed to do anything about ‘crime’. It would be a good idea to identify the platforms and have plans to take them out, should the need arise.
Thanks and, well folks, I’m just happy to be here.
They would have better luck if they just put tracking collars on all the gang-bangers...
Just play YOUTUBE FSA videos full blast all day long - they even got tank, missile and artillery explosions too.
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