By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Cambridge City Council voted 6-3 on August 4 to temporarily reactivate the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system following the July 4 fatal shooting of Cambridge Department of Public Works employee Xavier Bautista.
- The council had voted in May to end its contract with SoundThinking Inc., formerly known as ShotSpotter, citing concerns about technology reliability and the concentration of acoustic sensors in minority neighborhoods.
- Bautista, a public works employee, was found dead from two gunshot wounds near Sennott Park around 5:25 a.m., having left home more than an hour prior to reach his 4 a.m. shift.
- The 90-day trial period will permit the council to evaluate the system’s operational value and effectiveness in the context of Cambridge’s broader public safety strategy.
- City Councilor Timothy Flaherty and other supporters characterized the reactivation as a practical response to community safety concerns in light of the recent homicide.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — The Cambridge City Council voted August 4 to temporarily reinstate use of the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system for a 90-day trial period, reversing its May decision to terminate the contract with SoundThinking Inc. following the fatal shooting of a city employee.
The council had voted in May to discontinue use of the acoustic detection technology after considering concerns regarding the system’s operational reliability and the concentration of acoustic sensors in predominantly minority neighborhoods. Following the July 4 shooting death of city employee Xavier Bautista, the council revisited the decision.
Bautista, a Cambridge Department of Public Works worker, was found dead near Sennott Park on July 4 at approximately 5:25 a.m. The victim displayed two gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that Bautista had departed his residence more than one hour before discovery to arrive for his scheduled 4 a.m. shift.
Police and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene after pedestrians reported the discovery. Bautista was found wearing work clothing consistent with his employment uniform.
Following Bautista’s death, the council reconsidered the ShotSpotter decision. City Councilor Denise Simmons stated that the reconsideration represented progress toward a more balanced and fact-based discussion regarding the technology’s role in Cambridge’s public safety strategy.
“Last night’s vote was a step in the right direction toward having a more balanced, thoughtful, and fact-based conversation about ShotSpotter and the role it may play in Cambridge’s broader public-safety strategy,” Simmons stated Tuesday.
City Councilor Timothy Flaherty characterized the reactivation as a practical response to documented public safety concerns. Flaherty stated his perspective that rejecting the technology on ideological grounds while ignoring real-life consequences was unjustifiable.
“It’s inconceivable to me that in light of the recent tragedy in Cambridge involving Xavier Bautista, some believe the costs of this service outweigh its benefits. In my view, that is an ideological argument that ignores real-life consequences,” Flaherty stated.
The ShotSpotter acoustic detection system uses sound identification technology to assist law enforcement and emergency medical personnel in identifying gunshot incidents and improving response time to shooting events.
SoundThinking Inc. issued a statement expressing condolences to Bautista’s family, friends, and colleagues. The company stated its commitment to working with Cambridge and its residents to support evidence-based public safety solutions that respect privacy and civil liberties.
The 90-day trial period will provide the council an opportunity to gather operational data regarding the system’s effectiveness and role in Cambridge’s public safety infrastructure before making a longer-term determination regarding continued use.