Durham leaders discuss controversial ShotSpotter technology at public meeting

ShotSpotter representatives and the Durham Police Department held a Saturday morning forum at the Lyon Park Community and Recreation Center to discuss how the technology will be used in the Bull City.

Posted 11:29 a.m. Oct 8, 2022 — Updated 8:13 p.m. Oct 8, 2022

WRAL Staff

DURHAM, N.C. — People in Durham got the chance Saturday learn more about a controversial, crime-fighting technology.

Representatives with ShotSpotter and the Durham Police Department held a forum at the Lyon Park Community and Recreation Center at 1309 Halley St. to discuss how the technology will be used in the Bull City.

ShotSpotter is aimed at reducing gun violence. The technology uses sensors placed on light poles, public buildings and telephone poles to detect and notify police of gunfire.

However, some residents have concerns about surveillance and privacy.

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Saturday's forum was intended to help residents learn more about how ShotSpotter technology might fight rising violent crime. Dosali Reed-Bandele showed up because she wanted to know how effective the system really was.

“I really didn’t hear that,” said Reed-Bandele. “I am not against it, I just think we need to hear more.”

She also did not hear from many community members who simply were not at this forum.

“As you can see, it was not as well attended as it should have been,” said Reed-Bandele.

Mindy Solie said that has been a challenge. Solie is a volunteer with Partners Against Crime, serving as a communication link between city leaders and the public.

“When someone is a victim of a crime or some sort of injustice, they need a place where they can share it," said Solie. "And this is the place.

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The challenge is getting people back to these places – she said.

“With COVID-19 it really sets us back because we could not meet in public,” said Solie.

Now – she hopes to reestablish lost connections.

Reed-Bandele wonders if more can be done to work around barriers that keep people from attending. She believes it could help authorities learn what is going wrong before shots are fired.

"Why does a young man or a young woman decide to pick up a gun?" asked Reed-Bandele. "Those are the real issues we really need to be talking about.”

Durham holding public meetings on ShotSpotter technology launching this fall

Saturday’s meeting is one of several public meetings Durham leaders have held about ShotSpotter. Durham leaders are planning to hold another public forum at 6 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Edison Johnson Recreation Center at 500 West Murray Ave.

In response to an increase in violent crime, the Durham City Council voted 5-2 in September to spend $197,500 to fund a pilot program to test the gunfire detection system. The Durham Police Department plans to test ShotSpotter during a 12-month span.

According to the city's website, ShotSpotter is projected to go live on Nov. 15 in Durham.

Area of Durham covered by ShotSpotter technology

The city has provided a map of the 3-square-mile area in east and southwest Durham that ShotSpotter will cover. While it is only 2.7% of the city's land mass, the city said the coverage area had the highest concentration of gunfire events. The city said it includes 33.9% of all of reports of someone shot.

In August, WRAL Data Trackers found almost one-fifth of Durham's nearly 400 shootings happened within the square mile around the Durham Police headquarters at 602 E Main St. The area is included where Durham leaders will deploy the ShotSpotter technology.

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