Alternatives to ShotSpotter draw concern
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
While ShotSpotter — a controversial gunshot detection system that's been debated for years — will not be used in Seattle, some of the city's proposed alternative surveillance technologies are raising concerns.
Why it matters: The gunshot detection equipment, shelved last month by the mayor, had been criticized by some police chiefs, the ACLU of Washington and others for potentially sending police into neighborhoods on high alert.
State of play: A spokesperson for Mayor Bruce Harrell's office said the acoustic location system will not be included in the city's public safety tech plan going forward due to budget constraints.
- Harrell announced plans to install or expand CCTV cameras in three neighborhoods, automated license plate readers and real-time crime center software that integrates dispatch, camera, officer location, 911 calls and more on a single screen.
- The cameras will initially be installed on Aurora Avenue North, the downtown Third Avenue corridor and the Chinatown-International District (CID), per the mayor's office.
What they're saying: Moving forward with CCTV and other crime prevention technologies "will ensure that communities see the biggest positive public safety impact while responsibly working within the City's projected budget deficit," city spokesperson Callie Craighead said in an email to Axios.
Yes, but: The ACLU of Washington has strong objections to the replacement surveillance technology and pilot programs that will be funded.
- The city should fund "public safety solutions that work" rather than investing in "invasive" surveillance infrastructure that "chills free speech, deters free association, fuels racial disparity in policing, and provides a false sense of security at the cost of privacy and race equity," ACLU-WA said in a statement.
What we're watching: Last year, the City Council placed a proviso, or conditional hold, on the funds to implement the CCTV program and no request has yet been made to release those funds, per a council spokesperson.