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Date: 10/12/2022
HOLYOKE – Prior to the City Council’s Oct. 4 meeting, a group of over 10 protesters gathered outside of City Hall to call on Mayor Joshua Garcia and the Holyoke Police Department to go back on the pursuit of bringing ShotSpotter to Holyoke.
ShotSpotter is a company that uses acoustic sensors strategically placed in an array of approximately 20 sensors per square mile to detect gun shots and alert police quicker in case of emergencies. The technology has been used in major cities across America and is utilized in Springfield.
Lead organizer of Holyoke Neighbors Helping Neighbors Katie Talbot began remarks on the City Hall steps by calling for reverse action from the city and focused effort on creating and finding innovative solutions instead of using the ShotSpotter technology that has been criticized as ineffective, inconsistent and something police eventually can abuse to over police communities.
“We’re here because we want solutions. We love the city, the amazing community that’s here, but we’ve also lived through the increased gun violence that’s been going on in the last few years,” Talbot said. “We want solutions to the problems that are creating the increase in gun violence.”
The protest called for the city to increase the Public Safety Department’s budget in efforts to research a community response model in policing. Speakers at the rally spoke about wanting the city and police to focus on mental health as well as social and addiction support in order to create safer neighborhoods.
“We are calling for real solutions, not Band-Aids. We don’t want the illusion of being safe. We want a community where our needs are being met and we don’t have to fight over resources,” said Talbot.
Resident Terry Gibson spoke about the need to hold their elected officials accountable when making decisions “that don’t have [residents’] best interests in mind.” He added the city has been reluctant to try other tools that residents have requested to create a better culture around policing such as body cameras on officers.
“And that’s why we’re here tonight to let this council know that we stand in opposition to ShotSpotter and hope to see a more humane approach to keeping our community safe,” Gibson said. “So, to this city we ask that you invest in solutions proven to work instead of ones that are proven to fail.”
During a press conference last month to address a recent uptick in public safety, Garcia was joined by District Attorney Anthony Gulluni as they both spoke in favor of the ShotSpotter technology. The city has since seen discussions among City Council and in other arenas on ShotSpotter after five murders by gunfire in Holyoke this summer. The council eventually approved grant funding for the technology at their meeting.