Letters to the Editor - The Durango Herald

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Letters: The Herald has not ignored Tara Reade

In Joseph Piuma’s letter complaining that the There is little to be gained from entering into a conversation with someone who makes a flawed argument, but not responding implies that Pium...

DATE: May 16, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Do they care about customers’ health?

In this first phase of opening up Colorado, I had two very different experiences at local businesses. I had an appointment at Durango Dermatology. As soon as I parked, employees a...

DATE: May 15, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: It’s time for Durango mayor to do his job

“By taking action like that, do you actually bring forth more negative comments from people that think it’s fascist government overreach?” Mayor Dean Brookie said at the City Council study s...

DATE: May 15, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: People you contact could die

It’s not over – far from it. On May 6, COVID-19 killed over 2,500 people in the U.S. And so it’s still very important to remember: You could have it, and not know it, a...

DATE: May 15, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Trump, unfit, also gets flu date wrong

What has happened to Republican values? I grew up thinking Republicans stood for family, conservative ideas and were heavy into Bible-beating. The Republican party is now led by a man with n...

DATE: May 14, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Council should force us to wear masks

I don’t understand City Council’s hesitation to require masks when entering stores or walking on Main (“ The CDC has clearly recommended masks when less than six feet from another human. Th...

DATE: May 14, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Tipton’s not the true conservative in race

In a vastly under-reported political achievement, candidate Lauren Boebert recently secured the top line of the Republican primary ballot for the U.S. of House Representatives. She was able ...

DATE: May 13, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Not wearing a mask is selfish and evil

We now know that face masks are our first, and most effective, line of defense from viral infections. I have to assume that we were discouraged from using masks early on in this p...

DATE: May 12, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Council members stand up to bullying

Although I never thought I would say this, I wanted to sincerely thank The Durango Herald. The weekend edition contained three excellent articles. First, the editorial “Is this ne...

DATE: May 12, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Virus drives switch to plant-based ‘meat’

Massive slaughterhouse closures are driving U.S. consumers to plant-based meat products, as sick workers pay the price. Tyson Foods, JBS USA and Smithfield Foods, the largest meat processors...

DATE: May 11, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Please help to rescue our gift shops

Please join us in spreading the word about supporting the important and overlooked gift industry. Independent gift retailers help create the unique style and personality of Main S...

DATE: May 11, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Letters: Durango virus responses are inconsistent

I write in the hope that elected officials and appointed people in positions of power who control our lives will read this and consider what I am observing. I just had the serolog...

DATE: May 8, 2020 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Photos: Battle of the Animas

Photos: Animas River Days

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike racesPlenty of spectators packed Steamworks Brewing Company on Sunday

Plenty of spectators packed Steamworks Brewing Company on Sunday

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro road racesCyclists had beautiful day to ride into Silverton on Saturday

Cyclists had beautiful day to ride into Silverton on Saturday

Photos: Durango High School graduation ceremony

Photos: Durango Big Picture High School graduates receive diplomas

Durango police chief says technology name of game in modern policingAI bodycams, first responder drones and more in store for DPD

Artificial intelligence, drone first responders and body cameras that can translate 50 languages aren’t far-flung concepts of some opaque Hollywood future anymore. Even in Durango, they are becoming staples of modern policing.Durango Police Department is embracing technological advancements in what Police Chief Brice Current described to city councilors earlier this year as a “cautious” yet “progressive” approach.Since at least April, Current has stressed how DPD’s top priority with new technology is reinforcing public safety. Since at least April, Current has attended various community meetings about new technology the police department is adopting, where he’s stressed how DPD’s top priority with new technology is to reinforce public safety. He has also addressed residents’ concerns about how powerful some new technologies, including Flock Safety and other automated license plate reader cameras, have become – an ongoing conversation between DPD, the city and advocates for tighter automated license plate reader regulations in Durango.At a Kiwanis Club of Durango meeting last month, for example, Current addressed Flock cameras and drones, and also the importance of trust and accountability for law enforcement.“It is healthy for the public – if we’re going to be one Durango and we’re going to work together – to question government. I question government,” he said.

Current said accountability for officers and third-party technology services is necessary, and that requires education and transparency.Evoking laughter, Current showed a video clip of a drone launching a net at a person.“It requires no training, no policy, and there’s no way we’re ever going to use this,” he said. “There’s lots of other technology out there that is really cool, but just doesn’t fit in Durango right now.”Grappler systems that cast nets to trap a car’s tires are no longer gadgets used only by Batman in films and comic books. Current said Castle Rock uses just such a system. But they aren’t a good fit for Durango.“Those are great tools, don’t get me wrong, but there’s some – like facial recognition, some other things – that just aren’t going to fit in this community and shouldn’t fit here for a long time,” he said.New technologies at DPDDraft One AI Reporting by Axon is an audio transcription service that can identify multiple people in a body camera recording and produce a police report based on what is captured.Current said he held off on trying a demo of Draft One for a long time, because although DPD has used transcription services for years, he didn’t feel comfortable bringing an AI-generated police report to court.But AI transcription technology has come a long way, he said.“This system can take five different people or more at a time and assign who they are and transcribe what they’re saying in the report,” he said.Another benefit, he said, is it trains officers to speak into their body cameras more regularly to record what they are thinking and observing. That helps the veracity of officers’ testimony in court.“When you’re pulling a vehicle over, you used to say in court, ‘(The suspect is) reaching under the seat. I saw him doing some stuff that made me feel nervous.’ And the jury’s like, ‘Hmm, you’re saying that now because you found 2 pounds of dope in his car. But is that really what you’re thinking?’” Current said.Now, officers speak directly into their body cameras to capture not just what the body camera sees but what they are thinking and how they are processing a situation as it unfolds.“‘I’m feeling pretty nervous right now. He keeps reaching under his car (seat).’ They’re talking to their camera. ‘He’s waited two blocks to turn to pull over. That’s odd,’ ... It’s teaching the officer to talk more about what they’re feeling in the reports,” he said.DPD is using Draft One transcripts in misdemeanor cases, although it hasn’t begun using them in felony cases, Current said. But he is confident it will start using them in felony cases soon.The police department’s body cameras are now able to livestream video to the police station and 911 dispatchers at the Durango Emergency Communications Center, allowing first responder agencies to monitor situations in real time.Current said DPD is looking into getting language translation capabilities in 50 different languages for body cameras, but that feature comes with a higher price tag and the police department is waiting on grant funding to make a move.DPD is also implementing AI software into its internal systems to quickly search statutes to determine what charges might best match a situation, to flag internal affairs reviews if officer misconduct is detected in video footage, and more.

By now, residents may have noticed one or both of the drone first responders DPD deployed this year to survey incidents faster than officers can reasonably be expected to arrive on scene.Police used a drone last month to locate a missing boy near the Animas River. The drone deployed from Durango Fire Protection District Station No. 1 downtown and arrived in the general area the boy was last seen – behind the Durango Mall – in just a few minutes.Police also deployed a drone last week to the scene of a fatal shooting near Durango Skate Park.Within two minutes of the shooting, police launched a drone and got an aerial view of the scene “within seconds” of it being launched, according to a DPD news release.A second drone was launched a minute later.“The Durango Police Department’s Drone as First Responder system arrived above the scene before officers,” the release said. “The drone operator was able to see that there was no further gunfire taking place as officers approached the area. This technology provided officers with real-time information and helped them arrive with a stronger understanding of what was happening on scene.”The two drones operate on about a 2-mile radius with flight times of about 40 minutes.

‘We’ve learned to vet them’DPD and the city began to face harsher scrutiny from residents last year after members of DeFlock Durango performed records requests for Flock audits that revealed vehicle and license plate data was appearing in searches by law enforcement agencies across the country that have 287(g) cooperation agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Flock Safety has faced pushback from communities around the country for what some opponents of ALPRs call a mass surveillance system of Orwellian proportions. Critics have bashed Flock for providing data to federal law enforcement, for questionable privacy policies when it comes to captured data and for a lack of oversight on how police departments use data.

Current has repeatedly insisted Flock cameras do not constitute “mass surveillance,” although he has acknowledged privacy and abuse of power concerns.He said things are changing for the better with Flock after it faced backlash for working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.He said DPD has always dealt with third-party technology services, and over time it’s leaned to vet companies it partners with.When legislation required police to start wearing bodycams, police had issues with camera companies not storing data as required by law.“Do we trust these groups? Well, we've learned to vet them,” he said.cburney@durangoherald.com

AI bodycams, first responder drones and more in store for DPD