As a longtime Oakland County resident, I am writing to express my concern about efforts to restrict the law enforcement technologies that help keep our community safe.
Rather than letting misinformation drive policy, we should stand behind proven programs like “Drone as a First Responder” and license plate readers — tools that are making a real difference in fighting crime and protecting families.The value of the drone program was on full display recently when it helped apprehend a dangerous armed suspect in our county. Using real-time aerial intelligence, officers were able to pinpoint the gunman’s exact location and arrest him before a single shot was fired.
That is the program working exactly as intended: faster response, smarter deployment of resources and lives protected.
Yet despite results like these, the program’s effectiveness has been overshadowed by misinformation. The same is true for license plate readers, which have a strong track record of helping officers identify and apprehend dangerous criminals.
The evidence for both programs is clear, but that evidence risks being drowned out by those who would eliminate these tools before the public fully understands what would be lost.Oakland County has worked hard to become the safe, family-friendly community it is today. Removing the technologies that help sustain that safety is a step backward.
As crime and technology continue to evolve at a rapid pace, complacency is not an option.Our community deserves forward-thinking leadership that invests in proven solutions.
I urge Oakland County officials to protect and expand these programs so that our friends, neighbors and children can count on a safer future for years to come.
Brian Szmytke
Oakland County resident
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Protect the technology that helps prevent crime in Oakland County | Letter
Reporting by Letter to the editor / The Detroit News
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