BLMCLE ShotSpotter Toolkit

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Dear Comrades, Concerned Citizens of Cleveland

Cleveland City Council is voting this Thursday 10/6/22 on Ordinance No. 909-2022 unveiled plans to spend $2,758,500 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money on expanding its partnership with ShotSpotter, a company whose business model is reliant on this desperation. ShotSpotter claims that it’s hyper-accurate, reduces gun violence, and increases police efficiency, but research and data show the opposite.

The stated purpose is to decrease gun violence in high crime areas by detecting and locating the sound of gunfire and hastening police response to the scene. However, there is no proof that this technology decreases gun violence, deters crime, or makes communities safer. Our civil liberties are at stake.

Plainly speaking, this is 24/7 audio surveillance, digital stop and frisk.

We must challenge the long-held ideas that surveillance, police involvement, and incarceration make our communities safer. If police believe there is an active shooter situation, they will respond with a higher degree of force, even if the situation does not warrant it. This may be an excuse to spy on communities in the name of “safety.”

Vote No on ordinance 909-2022 to mandate that the city will not expand the contract with the chosen gun sensor audio technology vendor Shotspotter.

Surveillance isn’t safety.

We ask you to use this toolkit to urge Cleveland City Council to Vote No on Shotspotter Expansion:

Help us amplify our message today!

Use these scripts and templates, and personalize your messages to have a greater impact. The vote is on Thursday October 6, 2022 at 10am and time is of the essence.

1. Call City Council (216) 664-2840

If you live in Cleveland, see the information below for your council person’s phone number

2. Call your council member

  1. Joseph T Jones, Ward1: jjones@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-4944
  2. Kevin Bishop, Ward 2: kbishop@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-4945
  3. Kerry McCormack,Ward 3: kmccormack@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-2691
  4. Deborah A. Gray, Ward 4: dgray@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216.664.4941
  5. Richard A. Starr, Ward 5: rstarr@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216.664.2309
  6. Blaine Griffin, Ward 6, Council President: bgriffin@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-4234
  7. Stephanie D. Hows, Ward 7: showse@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216.664.2908
  8. Mike Polensek,Ward 8: mpolensek@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-4236
  9. Kevin Conwell,Ward 9: kconwell@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-4252
  10. Anthony Hairston, Ward10: ahairston@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-4743
  11. Brian Mooney, Ward 11: bmooney@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216-664-3708
  12. Rebecca Maurer, Ward 12 rmaurer@clevelandcitycouncil.org Office: 216.664.4233
  13. Kris Harsh, Ward 13: kharsh@clevelandcitycouncil.org – Office: 216.664.2943
  14. Jasmin Santana,Ward 14: 216-664-4238 jsantana@clevelandcitycouncil.org
  15. Jenny Spencer,Ward 15: 216-664-4235 jspencer@clevelandcitycouncil.org
  16. Brian Kazy ,Ward 16: 216-664-2942 bkazy@clevelandcitycouncil.org
  17. Charles Slife,Ward 17: 216-664-4239 cslife@clevelandcitycouncil.org

Click to Find your Ward

Phone Script:

“Hello, my name is __ and I live in __, Cleveland. I am calling to voice my opposition to Ordinance No. 909-2022 in our city. There is no proof that this technology will deter gun violence. It will further harm black communities due to increased opportunities for violent police encounters, and I fear it will infringe upon our civil liberties. I strongly urge you to vote no.

Public Comment/Email Script:

“Hello, my name is __ and I live in __, Cleveland. I am writing today to voice my opposition to Ordinance 909-2022 in our city. There is no proof that this technology will deter gun violence. It will further harm black communities due to increased opportunities for violent police encounters, and there is no transparency about data collection and usage. I strongly urge you to Vote No.

3. Call or email Public Safety Chief, Karrie D Howard. Phone: 216.664.2200 (Relay Service: 711)

4. Twitter – FLOOD THEIR MENTIONS with #surveillanceisntsafety

Council Members’ Twitter Handles

City Council as a Whole

  1. Joe Jones
  2. Kevin Bishop
  3. Kerry McCormack
  4. Deborah A Gray
  5. Richard A Starr
  6. Blaine A. Griffin
  7. Stephanie Howse
  8. Micheal D Polensek
  9. Kevin Conwell
  10. Anthony Hairston
  11. Brian Mooney
  12. Rebecca Maurer
  13. Kris Harsh
  14. Jasmin Santana
  15. Jenny Spencer
  16. Brian Kazy
  17. Charles Slife

CLICK TO TWEET (Edit the mention to include your council people too!)

On Wednesday @CleCityCouncil is rushing to extend an ordinance that will expand gunfire sensor technology (AKA 24/7 audio surveillance) in our communities. Where is the proof that it will deter gun violence like it proposes? #surveillanceisntsafety

@CleCityCouncil should Vote No on Ordinance No 909-2022 ., or modify it to include 1) community Q&A with the vendor re: efficacy and data collection before extending a contract AND 2) a use policy and impact assessment #surveillanceisntsafety

If @clecitycouncil cares about protecting our civil liberties, they should reject or VOTE NO on Ordinance 909-2022 to include the community’s voice and demand police accountability through a use policy and impact assessment.

Other sample tweets to copy/paste:

Call Cleveland City Council at (216) 664-2840 / safety director Karrie Howard at 216.664.2200 to voice your concern about audio surveillance!

(Tweet out links to find your council member and contact info)

My name is _, I live in _, and I oppose Ordinance No 909-2022 .. #surveillanceisntsafety

@clecitycouncil Questions I have about Ordinance 909-2022 : who will have access to the audio data collected through surveilling my community?

Questions I have about Ordinance 909-2022 : how accurate is the data you gather?

Questions I have about Ordinance 909-2022 : where is the evidence that this audio surveillance deters crime and gun violence?

Tweet about how it impacts your community with #surveillanceisntsafety.

5. Instagram and Facebook sample posts

Mention Ordinance 909-2022 Gunfire Sensor Technology

The bottom line about Ordinance 909-2022 : there’s no proof it will deter gun violence, it will further harm black communities due to increased opportunities for violent police encounters, and there is no transparency of data collection and use.

Cleveland City Council Ordinance 909-2022 is a fear-based approach to public safety. It does not address the root causes of crime and masks surveillance as safety. This measure will only escalate police interactions with marginalized communities of color in our city. We must challenge the long-held ideas that surveillance, police involvement, and incarceration make our communities safer.

Call Cleveland City Council at (216) 664-2840 / safety director Karrie Howard at 216.664.2200 about Ordinance 909-2022 to voice your concern about audio surveillance!

Hashtags:

#surveillanceisntsafety #endshotspottercontract #clevelandpolice #audiosurveillance #clevelandcitycouncil #overpolicing #protectcommunitiesofcolor #protectpoc #protectourdata #cleveland #deescalatethepolice

Screenshot the text scripts above to include in your posts on social media so others have access to it.

6. Send this toolkit to others.

Take a few minutes out of your day to use these tools and share. Together, we are powerful and can protect our communities and our civil liberties.

Here’s the agenda for the 10/6 meeting.

Here’s some ShotSpotter info for tomorrow: