Durham City Council met on February 22 and tackled a fractured public safety debate, with residents in violence-affected neighborhoods demanding more police resources while policy experts questioned whether those tools actually work.
The most striking moment came during public comment, when resident Jante Dunson described three drive-by shootings in his neighborhood within 24 hours and a 15-year-old getting shot. Dunson criticized the council for voting against renewing the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system in less than five minutes, then spending an hour discussing a ceasefire resolution unrelated to Durham's violence. "You all look like you're defunding the police when my community wants more safety," Dunson said.
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