The cops thought Covid-19 would result in a decline in gun violence, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
And after a decline over four years through 2018, non-fatal shootings and homicides were up in 2019, including a 19 percent increase in robbery with a firearm. And year-to-date shots fired number 51, which is a 21 percent increase over last year.
The trends are concerning, and these pandemic days it’s not as easy to send out the troops, which makes using crime-solving software and other technology, especially for gun related crime, more pressing than ever.
That was the main theme presented by Assistant Police Chief Karl Jacobson to members of the Board of Alders Public Safety Committee , as the police department sought aldermanic permission to apply for a $750,000 three-year U.S. Department of Justice grant to create a “crime gun intelligence center.”
The meeting was held Tuesday night via the Zoom teleconference app, led by the committee’s chair and vice chair, Alders Gerald Antunes and Brian Wingate.
The grant would pay to support current police intelligence activities with new computer technology to, for example, better track shell casing data. Software would track the interconnections between gun violence incidents to help predict and interrupt crime. It would also help identify guns and locate perpetrators sooner, and augment and help pay for the current ShotSpotter system.
The committee voted unanimously to approve the request and send it to the full Board of Alders for a final vote.
Committee members, before the vote, drilled down on specific uses of the funds.
Beaver Hills Alder Wingate asked if there is any city match requirement.
“No,” Jacobs answered.
“Keep up the good work,” replied Wingate.
Antunes asked for an explanation for why shots fired have risen this year.
“Part of the reason,” explained Jacobson,“is because ShotSpotter has a new area” to cover.
Up to now the system, which helps locate where shots have been fired, had focused on what Jacobson called “the Orchard Street corridor.” That’s where 50 percent of the gun violence occurs, he said. Recently most of Fair Haven has been added to the coverage area. Thus, in part, the increase.
Jacobson further explained that the hefty annual $330,000 cost of ShotSpotter would be paid for, in part, by up to $80,000 a year of the grant monies
Antunes noted that some of the money in the grant is to be dedicated to “community engagement.” Which means precisely what?
“Enhancing our ability to stop people from picking up the gun” to begin with, said Jacobson. Specifically he said it would fund more engagement with Project Longevity.
“Maybe do a barbecue with [Project liaison] Stacy Spell, to see if we can engage those kids with jobs.”
Assistant Chief Jacobson is an ethical, really smart, practical Police Officer. He knows the streets from beneath the pavement up. He is strategic. He is tactical. He builds useful coalitions that actually work well together. Stacy Spell of Project Longevity is another such stellar person. He adds to the professional mix the gift of communication with estranged and discarded youth. He speaks their language. More importantly, he listens, and he also builds coalitions that are effective and have longevity. Not all stories with guns in them have a happy ending, but then, not a lot of stories in real-life do end as happily as they might. Happy endings will increase with these two folks working together. Mr. Spell and Chief Jacobson are powerful, resourceful and responsible New Havenites, and they will work hard, damn hard to have as many stories end as happily as possible. Kudos to the ingenuity and commitment to peace that these two professionals offer!