ShotSpotter doesn’t work

Regarding “Crime in Houston is trending downwards, no thanks to flawed ShotSpotter program (Editorial),” (July 14): I couldn’t agree more. In my neighborhood, the only time we see a policeman is in his patrol car with the lights flashing and the siren blaring. We consider it an anomaly if we go outside and do not hear a siren.

I rarely see an officer writing a ticket, though I seem to witness half a dozen traffic violations within one mile of driving. If the Houston Police Department put more officers on traffic patrol, how many fugitives would they apprehend at routine traffic stops? Traffic deaths would likely go down, and crime would go down. Seems like a win-win to me.

OK, I get it. If they’re writing tickets, who is fighting crime? Why not have two different types of police, one focused on crime and another on traffic? My guess is that the traffic police would pay for themselves and wouldn’t require quite the level of training as the crime police.

Just trying to think outside the box, as the current approach doesn’t seem to be working very well.

Robert Mueller, Houston

I am thankful to see the Houston Chronicle’s investigation confirming what those paying attention have already known: ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology does not work!

Cities such as Chicago have already confirmed this. It was a mistake for Mayor Turner and the City Council to approve this technology. Not only does it not work, the tech is being rolled out primarily in communities of color, and there are still privacy concerns which have not been addressed.

As a freelance journalist, I have been reporting on the concerns surrounding this technology since 2015. Now, as a mayoral candidate, I am calling for ending the contract as soon as possible.

I am hopeful that the Chronicle’s reporting will mean that I will not be the only mayoral candidate calling attention to this important issue. Moreover, I am hopeful that this reporting can spark an investigation in the Houston area regarding the wasteful use of taxpayer dollars to fund surveillance technology like ShotSpotter.

The Houston City Council needs to freeze HPD’s budget until they can justify further expenses and prove that current funding is being put to use in the most effective way possible.

Derrick Broze, Houston