Chicago Debates Merits of ShotSpotter Technology

theodp writes "After a week that saw more than 40 people shot and at least 4 killed, Chicago politicians and police are at odds on whether to implement ShotSpotter, a camera and acoustic sensor-based gunshot-location system that is designed to pinpoint a shooter's location within seconds. The Chicago Police Department opposes such a move, saying ShotSpotter wasn't reliable in an earlier trial and — at $250,000 for a square mile of coverage — is too expensive. The company says the system has dramatically lowered crime rates in cities across the country. ShotSpotter is currently deployed in two countries and 51 US cities and counties."

Comments

Here's a radical idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Illinois is one of the few areas of the country that do not issue firearms licenses. Let the law abiding citizens carry guns like the constitution allows them to do and you'll see gun crime drop dramatically. Just look at the statistics of the rest of the country who freely let their citizens carry.

Re:Here's a radical idea

[Coffee Warlord]

Not exactly. Firearms are banned within the Chicago city limits (and probably a couple other smaller towns, but I dunno), but the state issues firearm owners licenses. No concealed carry permits in the entire state, though.

There's been a big push lately to repeal Chicago's anti gun laws, with some recent court decisions.

Re:Here's a radical idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Absolutely. The problem is not the guns, it's the criminals. Law abiding citizens, including myself, have stopped attacks my merely showing our guns. Criminals want easy victims. Period.

Someday you may understand. I hope you live through it.

Re:Here's a radical idea

[Chris Colohan]

Good decent people own guns in illinois and have their FOID card, but they aren't the ones doing drive by shooting or holding up liquor stores or banks.

http://xkcd.com/703/