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The costs of printing, paper and distribution all continue to rise.” “Newspaper sales are in decline, while advertisers increasingly spend their money with technology giants rather than publishers. The Guardian, like all other newspapers, faces very tough trading conditions. “This is our first price rise in almost three years. “But we have much more work to do, which is why we are increasing the price of the Guardian in print from today. The sensors also failed to detect two fatal shootings in February.She said more than one million readers had supported Guardian journalism over the past three years, which meant it was “on the path to financial sustainability”. The program’s launch drew controversy, however, after its sensors did not detect a drive-by shooting on New Year’s Day that injured five people, The N&O reported previously. The ShotSpotter dashboard on the city’s website logs incidents, shell casings recovered, arrests and other data and shows nearly three-quarters of the incidents that ShotSpotter alerts are not associated with a resident’s 911 call. The company previously told The N&O that it typically deploys 15 to 25 sensors per square mile. ShotSpotter then alerts 911 dispatchers and police. When the sensors are triggered by the sound of possible gunfire, an audio recording is reviewed by ShotSpotter’s “Incident Review Center,” where a person listens to confirm gunfire or explosions. In Durham, the program set up sensors in a designated part of east and southeast Durham where the city says a third of all gunshots are reported. The two dissenting City Council members, Javiera Caballero and Jillian Johnson, expressed concern it could lead to excessive policing and questioned its effectiveness.

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The first three months are free to the city, after which Durham will pay $197,500 to continue the program through the rest of the year. The City Council agreed to try the program by 5-2 vote last September after years of debate. ShotSpotter was launched in Durham last December with the hope that its detection of possible gunfire could help police reach the scenes of shootings more quickly. There were 282 reported aggravated assaults in the first quarter of 2023, a 4% increase from the first quarter of last year.įirearms were used in 118 of them, compared to 120 last year. “When nearly half of all aggravated assaults involve a firearm that’s something that should concern all of us,” she said.

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Patterson noted at Thursday’s crime update that 42% of aggravated assaults in the first three months of 2023 involved firearms and that removing guns from dangerous offenders is a priority for the Police Department. Patterson has said the program, which will involve the city, county and other organizations, is being worked out and could launch later this year.

The model treats violence like a disease and tries to reduce it by changing behavior. Last year, the Raleigh City Council approved spending $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds on a gun violence prevention program similar to the Cure Violence model used across the country. Police did not respond to questions from The N&O on Friday. There are currently around 100 vacancies in the Raleigh Police Department, a number that fluctuates with hiring.Ĭity Manager Marchel Adams-David will present her recommended spending plan to the City Council on Tuesday.

She declined to provide further details on her budget request to the Raleigh city manager except to say the department “was looking at salaries.” Patterson took just three questions Thursday from reporters after her crime update. Patterson responded then that she preferred to stay focused on preventative measures against gun violence. At a news conference in January, The News & Observer asked Patterson if the Raleigh Police Department wanted to try ShotSpotter, as Durham is doing now.

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