CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Cambridge City Council is set to consider temporarily reactivating the city’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection system at its meeting Monday, over a month after the fatal shooting of a city employee.
Many question whether the technology could have made a difference.
The proposal comes nearly a month after 32-year-old Xavier Bautista was shot and killed on July 4 near the intersection of Broadway and Norfolk streets in Cambridge.
Police said Bautista was shot around 4:30 a.m., but first responders did not locate him until about an hour later. Bautista, who worked for the city’s Department of Public Works, had picked up an overtime shift on the holiday and was walking to work when he was shot, according to his fiancée, Demetris Grimsley.
“You have plans, you have a future that you’re thinking about with somebody and then it gets snatched away,” Grimsley said.
In the weeks since Bautista’s death, some have questioned whether the city’s ShotSpotter system could have alerted police more quickly, potentially reducing the time it took for first responders to find him.
“It’s not about just the technology, honestly. It’s about how many seconds go by when somebody gets shot. Every second counts,” Grimsley said.
The Cambridge City Council voted in May to discontinue ShotSpotter after dozens of residents spoke against the technology during public hearings.
“I do not consent to being under constant surveillance in the nature of just moving about Cambridge,” one resident said during public comment before the council’s vote.
Critics of ShotSpotter have argued that the acoustic gunshot detection system raises privacy concerns and disproportionately impacts minority neighborhoods. The technology uses a network of acoustic sensors placed throughout a city to detect and alert police to suspected gunfire.
While Grimsley said she understands those concerns, she hopes city leaders can find ways to prevent future acts of gun violence.
“Xavier is not just a statistic,” Grimsley said. “That was somebody’s father, somebody’s partner, somebody’s friend, somebody’s son, and what happened to him matters. He’s not just a number. It’s not just about technology. Our lives are forever changed.”
The Cambridge City Council is expected to vote Monday on whether to temporarily restore the ShotSpotter system.
Meanwhile, investigators have arrested and charged one man in connection with Bautista’s killing. Police have said they believe multiple suspects were involved in the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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