That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Police Department, the Community Safety Department, the Emergency Communications Department, the Department of Human Service Programs, the Department of Public Works, the Law Department, and any other relevant City departments and community partners to develop a Neighborhood Safety Additions Plan for the areas of the City previously served by ShotSpotter technology.  CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL JUNE 8, 2026

POR 2026-120 FIRST IN COUNCIL June 8, 2026 June 22, 2026 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR SIMMONS COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY WHEREAS: The City Council recently voted to discontinue the City’s use of ShotSpotter technology following concerns regarding the accuracy, reliability, privacy implications, civil liberties impacts, and overall efficacy of the technology, yet the underlying public safety concerns that led to the original deployment of the technology have not disappeared; and WHEREAS: Residents in every neighborhood of Cambridge deserve to feel safe in their homes, on their streets, in their parks, and in their public spaces, and they deserve to know that the City is taking practical, visible, and effective steps to prevent violence and respond quickly when serious incidents occur; and WHEREAS: The discontinuation of any public safety tool should be accompanied by a serious review of what additional resources, strategies, staffing, partnerships, or investments may be needed to ensure that the City is actively and concurrently strengthening its broader approach to neighborhood safety; and WHEREAS: Such a strategy may include, but need not be limited to, targeted and community- oriented patrol presence, expanded violence prevention and youth outreach efforts, improved coordination following serious incidents, environmental safety improvements such as lighting and visibility upgrades, strengthened community reporting practices, and any technology alternatives that may be considered in compliance with the City’s Surveillance Technology Ordinance; and WHEREAS: Any future public safety strategy should be evidence-informed, transparent, equitable, respectful of civil rights and civil liberties, and subject to meaningful public accountability; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Police Department, the Community Safety Department, the Emergency Communications Department, the Department of Human Service Programs, the Department of Public Works, the Law Department, and any other relevant City departments and community partners to develop a Neighborhood Safety Additions Plan for the areas of the City previously served by ShotSpotter technology, as well as any other areas where residents, neighborhood groups, or City departments have identified recurring concerns regarding gun violence, violent incidents, or serious public safety conditions; and be it further ORDERED: That this plan should identify concrete resources, investments, staffing strategies, operational changes, interdepartmental protocols, community partnerships, and public-space improvements that may be added or expanded to improve neighborhood

safety following the discontinuation of ShotSpotter; and be it further ORDERED: That this plan should specifically address the feasibility and potential impact of increased foot and bicycle patrols in targeted areas, expanded community-based violence prevention and youth outreach resources, improved follow-up after serious incidents, strengthened public reporting and communication practices, environmental safety improvements such as lighting and visibility upgrades, and any technology alternatives that may be considered in full compliance with the City’s Surveillance Technology Ordinance; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council within sixty days with a written report that includes recommended actions, estimated costs, implementation timelines, responsible departments, opportunities for community input, and proposed metrics for evaluating whether these added investments are improving neighborhood safety. In City Council June 22, 2026. Adopted as Amended by a yea and nay vote:- Yeas 8; Nays 0; Absent 1.- Attest:- Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk A true copy; ATTEST:- Paula M. Crane Interim City Clerk