Grand Rapids Police Department To Host Town Halls On Crime Prevention

Press release from the City of Grand Rapids:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) will host two virtual town hall events to outline the technology, hear public opinions and answer questions about the potential adoption of ShotSpotter in Grand Rapids neighborhoods. The town halls, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2 and Thursday, Nov. 5, will be broadcast live on Comcast government access Channel 26 and streamed live on YouTube and on the City of Grand Rapids and the GRPD’s Facebook pages.

In light of the rise of violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kent County Board of Commissioners recently voted to provide approximately $500,000 of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding to the City of Grand Rapids for crime prevention programming. If approved by the City Commission, the $500,000 would be used to install ShotSpotter in four square miles of Grand Rapids neighborhoods for a two-year period.

ShotSpotter is a gunfire detection technology that uses sensors, algorithms and artificial intelligence to detect, locate and alert police to gunfire in the community. It is a type of technology recommended in the Safe Alliances for Everyone (SAFE) final report. In recent meetings, the City’s Public Safety Committee and the Police Chief Advisory Team also voted in support of the program.

Participants in the town halls include Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne, Deputy Chief David Kiddle, Deputy Chief Scott Rifenberg, Sgt. Dan Adams and ShotSpotter representatives Trish Layne and Ron Teachman.

Police Chief Eric Payne believes the addition of ShotSpotter technology to the police department’s resources will help officers address gunfire incidents more quickly and efficiently. “Leveraging this technology in our community will help us achieve our goals of reducing violent crime laid out in our strategic plan,” said Chief Payne.

Public feedback garnered from these two virtual town halls will be presented to the City Commission.

This press release was produced by the City of Grand Rapids. The views expressed are the author's own.