Like it or not . . . When it comes to anti-crime efforts . . . It's cheaper to engage the community i.e. talk to people.
To wit . . .
KANSAS CITY MAYOR SLY JAMES SAYS NO TO THE "SHOTSPOTTER" PROGRAM FOR NOW!!!
Chris Hernandez reports:
"The city had already been considering it, but it would have cost about $300,000 per square mile, and federal grant money for the high tech tool has dried up.
In a recent interview, James acknowledged that the money is gone and Shotspooter won't be coming to Kansas City anytime soon."
This is good news given that surveillance toys rarely solve local crime and send the wrong message regarding the losing gamble of sacrificing of personal liberty for (the illusion of) safety.
good, bravo.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was one of the issues he was running on, helping to reduce crime. I guess a life in the inner city isn't worth 300k.
ReplyDeletethat's 300k per square mile.
ReplyDeleteIt would be better to hire more police than waste that cash on unproven toys.
Yeah, he ran on it. Even when he was touting it during his campaign he must have known it was too costly a tool, as his opponent reminded him frequently, but it sure sounded good in sound bites!
ReplyDeletelol. and the voters bought it.
ReplyDeleteThis was the big promise from Al Brooks when he got appointed to the police board.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of "solution" is like installing bigger pumps on the Titantic instead of watching where you're going.
When is Sly going to roll out some reasonable ideas like community policing?
I guess he's too busy right now kissing up to the same old Chamber/developer crowd as usual.
Kansas City is the third most dangerous city in the United States, according to Forbes magazine.
ReplyDeleteIt worked for Baltimore... Maybe just place them on the Plaza?
ReplyDeleteThen you wouldn't need as large a police presence and it would be easier to find the couple of bad apples ruining it for the rest of the kids....
What does it matter? It's already been placed in our city without our knowledge to begin with. 'Maybe' he's just opposed to using it large scale.
ReplyDelete