Letters to the Editor - The Durango Herald

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Paper delivery is not what it used to be

For the past month, we have had difficulty with our paper delivery service. Our last carrier was great, on time and never missed a day. Apparently, he asked for a week vacation a...

DATE: Mar 5, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Constituents deserve more than theater

Sen. Cory Gardner’s March 1 telephone version of a “town hall” debate was anything but. Rather than appear in Durango before the constituents he ostensibly represents, he chose t...

DATE: Mar 5, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Looking for your help with class project

Dear people of the great state of Colorado: Hello! I am a third-grade student at The Langley School in Northern Virginia. In third grade, we do state reports and I chose your stat...

DATE: Mar 5, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Reps sacrificing public health for profit

I am deeply disturbed by the blatant disregard for public health by the Trump administration. Our health should not be a political issue, let alone a partisan one. The value place...

DATE: Mar 4, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Discrimination has no place in Durango

Last year in North Carolina, the city of Charlotte passed Ordinance No. 7056. This ordinance made amendments to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinances to include marital status, sexual orie...

DATE: Mar 4, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Tipton only interested in negative events

In my opinion, our elected Republicans offer only destruction and provide no inspiration for a brighter future. I got an email request from Rep. Scott Tipton that asked me to iden...

DATE: Mar 4, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Trump, a free press and alternative facts

So it’s been a month since “The Donald” took over the reigns of power here in the U.S. To me, the most frightening aspect about this situation is that it’s clear now that Trump never fully u...

DATE: Mar 4, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Time for Tri-State to make a transition

I want my electric power to come from clean sources, as most of us do. Search Google for “Top-10 dirtiest power companies in America” and you will quickly find that Tri-State ranks No. 4. ...

DATE: Mar 4, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

‘Lead by example’ no real fix for the VA

“Lead by example” is a thinly-veiled attempt to provide Congress and their staff with Veterans Administration healthcare, even non-veterans, after they eviscerate the Affordable Care Act. ...

DATE: Mar 3, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Tipton vote to repeal FWS rule inhumane

On February 16th, while we were distracted by the head-spinning chaos in the White House, Congress was quietly passing legislation to “make America great again.” One such action was HJ Res 6...

DATE: Mar 3, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Speaking on behalf of ‘We the People’

True to being a politician, Scott Tipton is speaking from both sides of his mouth in an effort to avoid public accountability. On Tipton’s very own website he states, “In additio...

DATE: Mar 3, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

Add art, solar and wind power to wall

Even though I think the idea of “the obscene wall” is based on hatred, racism and ignorance, I applaud Sally Florence’s suggestion (Herald, 2/19) to try to make it something positive with ar...

DATE: Mar 3, 2017 | CATEGORY: Letters to the Editor

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