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The Detroit city council on Tuesday postponed a vote on the controversial expansion of surveillance technology for police departments.
A majority of council members say they support using more than $7 million in federal pandemic assistance for ShotSpotter, a technology that relies on a network of sensors to detect gunshots.
Rather than reject the expansion, the council voted him 6 to 3, and in his two weeks he postponed a decision on technology for the second time.
Meanwhile, the city council voted him 6-3 to extend his $1.5 million contract the city currently has with ShotSpotter.
“Having these discussions and discussions and these people coming here and taking their time on this serious matter of fathers burying their sons and mothers with their daughters and infants bleeding in the sheds on the road. I think we are wrong, and I will not be voting today,” Young said.
The decision to postpone was made after more than four hours of public comment and debate among council members. Councilor Coleman A. Young II accused his fellows of wasting the residents’ time and not having the courage to vote.
“Vote for this or postpone it? I think it would be a shame if it was delayed by a week, and I think it’s affecting people’s lives and emotions, and it’s wrong.
Council President Mary Sheffield responded that this was an important issue that should not be rushed. “I don’t think we’re playing games,” Sheffield said. “We respect everyone’s time here. It’s a split decision. It’s a difficult setup.”
However, it is unclear why the Board did not simply reject the expansion due to insufficient support. The Detroit Police Department and Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration say the system is an important part of the agency’s gun violence response, allowing officers to get to crime scenes faster than if they were waiting for his 911 call.