Technology reduces violent crime in Chicago

There were some nervous eyes ready to view this year’s January crime report for  Chicago city - not only from the Chicago Police Department, but also the public, as well as city leadership, and other civic leaders, weary of Chicago titled as the poster child of violent crime, and a frequent target of President Donald Trump, whose warning that the city better improve in fighting crime, or that he would “send in the Feds,” a remark that was not readily understood, then or later.

2016 was the most violent year for the city with 762 people killed; a 58 percent increase from 2015, and a rise in homicides that came with a correspondent rise in shootings of 4,331; numbers that made Mayor Rahm Emanuel cringe, as the record, and the city’s reputation was shattered, while it struggled to retain its ranking for convention and tourism.

Two weeks ago, thanks to increasing technological help, these numbers were drastically reduced according to CPD statistics: a 16 percent drop in murders from 2016, and a 25 percent reduction in murders; a 31 percent drop in shootings from last year, representing a 13 percent from from the deadly year of 2016.

The reason for the drastic reductions is the use of improved technology that was freshly merged with existing tools such as neighborhood cameras and special detection centers, both of which has given the city, dedicated tools that use microphones to pinpoint the location of the shootings, and to quickly apprehend the shooters, said Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson at a news conference when the stats were released.

Known as a ShotSpotter, the software was originally touted by former police chief, Garry Mccarthy, which had been installed, and praised, only to have problems with quality results, and system integration, coupled with a high price tag. But, this time, the revised integration has proved its worth; approximately $250,000 per unit.

Here is how it works: ShotSpotter It is “an acoustics-based, GPS-equipped system that automatically locates the origin of the shot and notifies authorities. A series of acoustic sensors picks up the sound waves of a muzzle blast that radiate outward from the barrel in all directions.”

“ShotSpotter uses 10 to 12 sensors spaced evenly throughout each square-mile section of the city it's covering, and each sensor is capable of hearing the sound of gunfire within a 2-mile (3-km) radius.,” notes the website of How Stuff Works.

In Chicago’s case they are linked with map-based prediction tools that not only determine the location of the shooter, but also decrease the police response time, to as little as a few minutes in some cases, or less, in the best case.

Key to the response are handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets that have been distributed to police officers, so that the real-life data is ready to use.

There are naysayers who say that the process, as well as the results need vetting, and Fox News, reported attorney Daniel Massoglia stating there was not just a slippery slope, “but an avalanche” and continued his doubts by saying, “The state of camera surveillance is unique globally almost. We're one of the most heavily surveilled cities in the country."

He also added,"I would say that without independent vetting of ShotSpotter's claims and of the police's claims, we should take them with a serious grain of salt.”

Yet CPD claims reduction times from 8 minutes to 30 seconds, a scenario that makes many, both residents, and city leadership, breathe easier, even though the battle against violent crime is still ongoing.

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There are still others that say, “Some data indicate the technology still needs fine-tuning. Last year, Forbes discovered through a data analysis of more than two-dozen cities using the program, in 30% to 70% of cases, police found no evidence of a gunshot when they arrived.”

Further adding to the controversy are some police departments that are even more  gung-ho, and some are saying: "We've gone to the dot and found the casings 11 feet from where the dot was, according to the GPS coordinates," Capt. David Salazar of the Milwaukee Police Dept. told Business Insider. "So it's incredibly helpful. We've saved a lot of people's lives."

Still the Chicago stats are nothing to sneeze at, and all things considered even a drop of over 40 percent in Englewood, one of the highest crime neighborhoods suggests that fighting violent crime, and especially shootings is worth the investment.  And, with the expansion into Grand Crossing and South Chicago, this is an effort that cannot be ignored, especially with 7 percent more gun ares and seizures and plus 8 percent more illegal guns confiscated

Anthony Guglielmi, CPD communications director, in an email, told me that, “In terms of the technology, the district situation rooms are made up of gunshot detection systems, integrated crime cameras and predictive analytical software. The data from these systems Is analyzed in real time by University of Chicago crime analysts alongside CPD officers to help foster more nimble and proactive policing efforts to respond to violence. The goal of this tech strategy is simply to provide officers with the most accurate real-time information about crime in a community and assist with smart deployment efforts.”

In an editorial, at the end of last year, The Chicago Tribune noted that for

2018, successful crime fighting efforts require a change in culture in the police department; which was noted in the sunset of the Obama administration with their Department of Justice report, by then Attorney General Loretta Lynn, and also the recommendation of a consent decree that was later scuttle-butted by her replacement,  Jeff Sessions.

After praising the technological advances and success, the editors said, “The most sweeping action Emanuel can take to fight violence is finish reforming CPD. The culture of policing in Chicago has long been blighted by officer misconduct. The accountability system is broken. This has turned many residents, who might otherwise help officers fight crime, against the cops. To repair trust, Emanuel has to finish restructuring police training and procedures. He must complete negotiations with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on robust oversight protocols to replace a planned federal consent decree that was shelved by the Trump administration.”

For some that was stating the obvious, for even the most casual news follower, yet for others, it works hand in hand with the recent technological success. As Guglielmi emphasized, “While the tools are extremely helpful, it's truly the work of police officers supported by their communities that is driving down gun violence in many of our districts.”