ShotSpotter proposal advances toward vote

The prospect of bringing the high-tech crime-fighting tool ShotSpotter to more areas of Suffolk County moved forward Tuesday when a legislative committee approved one of two competing proposals setting up a vote by the full legislature next Tuesday.

Indicative of the uncertainty over what legislators may ultimately pass, the committee passed the proposal by Legis. DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) to purchase the technology without recommendation for what the full legislature should do. Legislators, including Gregory, said they were open to County Executive Steve Levy's last-minute counterproposal to lease the technology that alerts police when and where gunshots are fired. They noted that Levy's proposal would serve five communities, compared with three or four under Gregory's plan.

Still, they stopped short of endorsing the leasing idea, saying they needed to study Levy's proposal. But Levy said, "Why would Legis. Gregory want to lock his community into a specific technology that might be outdated in two or three years?"

Under Gregory's plan, the county would spend $652,000 to buy the ShotSpotter equipment for Wyandanch and North Bellport. Either Central Islip or Brentwood, or both, would also get the technology.

Skeptical that ShotSpotter is effective enough to be worth the money, Levy balked at a plan last year to start a pilot program in Huntington Station, but relented. Recognizing that legislators this week were moving toward approving the purchase of the equipment, Levy proposed, on the eve of the committee meeting, that the county try out the technology through a three-year subscription.

His proposal would bring ShotSpotter to Wyandanch, North Amityville, Huntington Station, Brentwood and North Bellport. His plan would cost $450,000 for the first year and $310,000 for each of the next two years.