Durham County sheriff, former Durham mayor push for renewal of ShotSpotter gunfire detection technology
Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead is among area leaders pushing back on the city council’s decision not to extend the city’s contract with the controversial gun detection technology known as ShotSpotter.
Birkhead argues the ShotSpotter yearlong pilot program has helped Durham.
“It’s disappointing, and it’s disappointing in that, we in law enforcement, need every tool at our disposal to do the job that we're sworn to do, and it's protect our communities,” Birkhead said.
Birkhead pointed to the number of shootings Durham police responded to due to the ShotSpotter alerts.
“The large number of shots fired calls do not get reported through 911, overwhelmingly, and so ShotSpotter was able to fill that gap,” Birkhead said. “This work that we do is about saving lives.
“It's not about over-policing. It's not about being in neighborhoods and oppressing individuals. This is about working alongside our community."
ShotSpotter was seeking about $50,000 to extend its contract with Durham for three months. The total cost of the yearlong pilot program was about $197,000.
The dashboard for ShotSpotter in Durham showed police recovered 21 guns, made 23 arrests and responded to 48 gunshot wounds.
The ShotSpotter technology covered a three-square-mile area in east and southeast Durham. The ShotSpotter sensors are supposed to notify police when they hear gunfire and where.
Birkhead said he’s heard from people in the coverage area who are upset about the city council’s decision.
“Right now, [we’re in] disbelief because their voices are not being heard, once again,” Birkhead said. “They are not being asked their opinion, once again.
“How they have benefited from ShotSpotter – those stories are not being told."
ShotSpotter’s supporters believe it improves response times, enabling police to collect better evidence. Its critics worry about privacy and unnecessary police interactions.
Opponents claim it unnecessarily increases police activity in communities of color.
"The ShotSpotter technology sets a dangerous precedent for communities of color, and that effect is an increase in surveillance without tangible results in terms of reducing gun violence," said Victor Urquiza.
Former Durham Mayor Bill Bell, who held office from 2001 to 2017, also wrote an op-ed in the News and Observer to advocate for ShotSpotter.
“I was deeply disappointed on Dec. 18 when Durham City Council members declined to extend ShotSpotter’s contract,” Bell wrote in part.
Bell wrote that he believes ShotSpotter can help in solving and reducing crime.
Birkhead said ShotSpotter can’t solve the issue of violence alone, but he believes it’s made a difference.
“I look at ShotSpotter as another tool,” Birkhead said. “It's not an end-all be-all for gun violence, but it helps law enforcement respond quicker, react [and] collect evidence."
Bell and Birkhead said they hope the study of ShotSoptter underway by the Duke Law School's Wilson Center will lead to the city council renewing the contract at a later time.
New Mayor Leo Williams and Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton voted Monday in favor of extending Durham’s contract with ShotSpotter. The four other city council members voted not to renew the contract.
On Wednesday, Middleton asked Durham residents to call 911 every time they hear gunfire.
“I’m calling on all residents in our city … to become what I call a shot-caller,” Middleton said in a Zoom with WRAL News. “Call 911 no matter what. It may save someone’s life.”
Middleton said callers shouldn't worry about knowing where exactly gunfire came from or if it was actually gunfire.
"We can't respond to what we don't know," Middleton wrote in a Facebook post. "A neighbor may be injured and the difference between life and death may be your call."
