Cleveland mulls shift from ShotSpotter to Flock
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Cleveland officials want to replace the city's gunshot detection network, shifting from ShotSpotter to Flock Safety in a proposed three-year, $2 million contract.
Why it matters: The move marks a new phase in Cleveland's embrace of tech-assisted policing, one that city leaders say will improve emergency response and efficiency at the Real Time Crime Center.
The intrigue: But the proposed move also raises eyebrows, as former councilman Kerry McCormack recently resigned to take a job with Flock.
Driving the news: A new Cleveland State University study funded by the city found that while ShotSpotter accurately identified gunfire, police staffing shortages made it hard to use the system effectively.
- Most alerts didn't result in arrests or reports, and the surge in gunfire calls slowed response times for lower-priority calls, according to the study.
State of play: The city's new legislation says Flock's system integrates more easily with existing license plate readers and surveillance cameras, allowing police to confirm gunfire, street takeovers, and crashes more quickly.
The other side: Some residents are urging council to slow down.
- In a letter to Mayor Justin Bibb and council leaders, nearly 300 community members warned that Flock's "mass surveillance introduces new safety issues" and cited U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's warning that the company has shared local law enforcement data with federal agencies.
- Ward 11 council member-elect Nikki Hudson and state Rep. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) were both signatories.
What they're saying: McCormack tells Axios that he had no communication with the city, Flock or anyone else about the proposed legislation.
- He said that he met with the city's law department before his departure about what restrictions he'd have in his new position.
- "Out of an abundance of caution," he will be observing a one-year non-contact policy as outlined in Ohio law, meaning he won't engage the city of Cleveland pertaining to Flock for at least one year, he says.
The latest: City Council's Safety Committee held a hearing Friday on the CSU report.
- It was revealed there that the proposed new Flock contract was awarded without the city's usual bidding process.
- Safety director Wayne Drummond said this was because Flock was a "sole source" provider and that the contract was "state term," meaning it had been pre-negotiated by the state.
- He denied that McCormack's position with Flock had anything to do with the city's current legislation.
Yes, but: Representatives from ShotSpotter attended the meeting and said they now offered an expanded product suite that competed directly with Flock and wanted an opportunity to bid.
What's next: The contract with Flock would require a council vote. ShotSpotter's contract expires in April.