Overview
- The City Council voted 6-3 on Monday to turn ShotSpotter back on for about 90 days and asked the city manager to restore the system while more public input is gathered.
- The decision followed the July 4 killing of 32-year-old city worker Xavier Bautista, whose body was not found for about an hour, a delay police unions said was tied to the system’s removal.
- The temporary order requires the city to convene a representative group of residents chosen by lottery to study ShotSpotter’s effects and recommend a long-term policy.
- Critics say the microphones raise privacy concerns, produce false alerts, and encourage over-policing of Black and brown neighborhoods, while supporters and police groups argue faster gunshot alerts can speed medical aid and aid investigations.
- Cambridge has used the technology since 2014 and the vendor does not disclose device locations, so the reinstatement is likely to deepen local divisions and shape whether the city pursues a permanent ban or regulated use.