By Alexis Crochiere
masslive.com
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Cambridge City Council has voted to temporarily reactivate the use of ShotSpotter gunshot technology following the death of a city worker in early July.
The council voted in May to end its contract with SoundThinking Inc., formerly known as ShotSpotter, after concerns over the technology’s reliability and the concentration of sensors in minority neighborhoods, Boston.com reported.
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The discussion was reopened Monday, and councilors voted 6-3 in favor of bringing back the technology for a 90-day period, City Councilor Denise Simmons said Tuesday.
“Last night’s vote was a step in the right direction toward having a more balanced, thoughtful, and fact-based conversation about ShotSpotter and the role it may play in Cambridge’s broader public-safety strategy,” Simmons said.
Xavier Bautista , a Cambridge Department of Public Works worker, was found dead from two gunshot wounds near Sennott Park in Cambridge on July 4.
Police and firefighters responded to the scene around 5:25 a.m. after pedestrians found him between a car and the sidewalk. Bautista was dressed in his work clothes, leading investigators to conclude he had left home more than an hour before the shooting to reach his 4 a.m. shift.
Following Bautista’s death, the use of the ShotSpotter detection system was revisited by the Cambridge City Council.
“It’s inconceivable to me that in light of the recent tragedy in Cambridge involving Xavier Bautista, some believe the costs of this service outweigh its benefits. In my view, that is an ideological argument that ignores real-life consequences,” City Councilor Timothy Flaherty said in a statement Tuesday.
The ShotSpotter surveillance system uses acoustic detection to help law enforcement and emergency medical technicians improve public safety, Timothy Flaherty said.
SoundThinking Inc. extended its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Bautista in a statement addressing Cambridge City Council’s decision to temporarily restore its technology.
“We remain committed to working with the city of Cambridge and its residents to support thoughtful, evidence-based public safety solutions that respect privacy and civil liberties,” SoundThinking Inc. said in a statement.
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