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Tacoma residents voice concerns about gunshot detection pilot program during public forum

While proponents say the software will improve police response times and help solve more crimes, those against it fear it is "unnecessary over-policing."

TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma residents are voicing their concerns about the city's newest gunshot detection technology pilot program, which was initially planned for a south Tacoma neighborhood.

"ShotSpotter is dangerous,” said Bunchy Carter with The Black Panther Party. “And the City of Tacoma is only going to become more dangerous because of it."

On Sunday afternoon, there was a packed room on the Evergreen State College Tacoma campus, filled with dozens of people concerned about the city's newest pilot program, a gunshot detection technology known as "ShotSpotter." The City of Tacoma said it will first be implemented in a 2 square mile area in the Hosmer neighborhood, identified by the city as one of the areas with the highest violent crime rate. 

"I just think it's an unnecessary over-policing of our communities,” said Latasha Palmer. “It's automatically labeling these communities as places of danger."

Palmer, along with other local organizations, organized Sunday’s public forum addressing the new program. The city said it’s used in 150 other places around the country. It believes ShotSpotter will help the police department respond to a higher percentage of gunfire incidents, improve its response times and help it locate key evidence to identify and investigate suspects.

However, the panel during Sunday’s public forum, made up of local university professors and community advocates, disagreed.

"ShotSpotter frequently repeated claims that it's 97% accurate,” said Ila Ravichandra, an assistant professor of Legal Studies at UW Tacoma. “And is likely misleading because it is not based on any testing or proper measure of accuracy."

“The way that you prevent gun violence is not by showing up after the gun goes off,” said Carter. “You prevent gun violence by giving people a reason not to pick up a gun in the first place."

The city is using an $800,000 grant from the Federal Department of Justice to fund this pilot program through the end of 2027. Many attending this forum believe the city should invest in other avenues to address crime.

"We understand that there's crime. Nobody here wants crime,” said Palmer. “Everybody wants to feel safe. But it makes sense to involve the community in these issues so that the solutions don't end up causing more problems."

KING 5 contacted the Tacoma Police Department for comment regarding community criticism of the pilot program but has not yet heard back.

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