We hit the $250 goal for our classroom’s spring art supplies! I asked on Monday to try by the end of the week and you all said yes by Wednesday morning. You can find out what other things you can donate or support here: Donate.
I’ll keep raising through the end of the week and see where we land, but I wanted to lead with gratitue and take a moment to say THANK YOU.
It’s small things like this—showing up, contributing, staying engaged—that actually make a difference. 
Now, onto the business of the day: Have you ever gone to bed thinking something was settled, only to wake up and find out—surprise!—it’s back on the table?
Tonight’s unexpected plot twist? The March 4th Little Rock Board of Directors meeting. ShotSpotter, a controversial gunshot detection system that the board voted not to renew last month, is suddenly back in play. 
I don’t believe in just telling people what to think.
Watch the exchange yourself, form your own opinion, then read mine.
The discussion starts at the 28-minute mark on the dot.
Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/165TsMU3LE/
It starts with Director Hines saying:
“Tom, uh, so I want to make sure my motion to expunge the vote—does that come now or will we put that as an agenda item?”
I personally didn’t know ShotSpotter was coming back up for discussion. And that’s the issue—how can we show up for discussions we don’t even know are happening?
That’s exactly what At-Large Director Antwan Phillips pointed out when he said:
“I wanted to make sure that this is clear to the public. I understand and respect Director Hines’s right to make the motion to expunge the vote. But it wasn’t on the agenda last week and, in my perspective, things need to be on the agenda so the public knows we’re doing it so they could have been here. Maybe we wouldn’t have had zero citizen communications if the public knew we were voting on this tonight.”
On Feb. 4: The board voted NOT to renew the $188,000 ShotSpotter contract in a 5-3 vote. On March 4: Ward 5 Director Lance Hines made a motion to undo that decision. Meeting Recording: Start at 28-minute mark. That motion was NOT listed on the public agenda. It passed, with Director Phillips and Director Lewis voted no.
Now, the board will vote again on whether to reinstate ShotSpotter—but the date hasn’t been announced yet.
I’ll be radically honest—I don’t think ShotSpotter is a good investment.
I live in a ShotSpotter-covered neighborhood. And here’s my lived experience:
I hear gunfire about every other week. Usually a single shot or a quick burst. More often than not, it is distant and not complete jarring. Small pops. Our household says, “You heard that?” I’m not like hitting the deck or dodging bullets biweekly but every so often I do hear a pop that I know was likely a gun. When I hear it, I check the window and my immediate surroundings—because I care about not getting shot and about my neighbors. If I saw someone hurt or in danger, I would call 911 immediately and try to help in whatever way made sense depending on the situation. There’s a sub-station RIGHT there, UAMS and Children’s hospitals within a decent radius so I’d hope it’d be fast. I do see some value of following up at the City level on any gunfire, I do not feel like ShotSpotter is stopping gun violence enough me for me to stop hearing gunfire biweekly and I don’t know if $188,000 is worth it to ME.
$188,000 Per Year.
That’s a lot more than my salary. That’s more than the value of my home.
If that makes me sound like a brokie, so be it. We’re talking about $188,000 per year—and I got bills. I count money, and money counts to me.
If I had to choose, I’d rather the city spend that same $188,000 on something else. LIke:
Building ONE new home a year in my neighborhood currently bursting with vacant weed lots and dilapidated properties. Providing 57,846 school lunches to kids in LRSD.
That’s real, tangible impact.
Of course, that’s just late-night citizen hypotheticals, and shifting funds isn’t always that simple (right?), but you see what I mean about priorities.
I live in the 12th Street Corridor—the exact area where ShotSpotter is deployed.
I am not speaking from an abstract place. I live in one of the neighborhoods where crime and gun violence are cited as the reason we need this technology.
I also have a child who walks, plays, and rides on the bike y’all gifted us in this same neighborhood.
This isn’t just theoretical for me—it’s personal.
I want less gun violence. I want more safety. I have a direct, vested interest in any tool or strategy that would actually make that happen.
I don’t claim to know everything. If I don’t fully understand something, I want to learn.
I just need to see the evidence.
If ShotSpotter truly works, show me the data.
Show me how many cases it has solved. Show me the clear, documented impact it has had in Little Rock.
Because right now, from what I see and experience every day, it does not feel like the best investment.
I plan to talk to my Board Director tomorrow.
If you have questions, I encourage you to talk to yours, too. One thing I can say about my Director Virgil Miller, is that anytime I have called or texted him, he has responded and listened to me. Period. He’s a saved contact in my phone and while I don’t blow up his cell, every so often if I have a question, I’ll ask it. It’s only been a few times, but he has answered me each and every time.
Find your representative here:
https://bit.ly/RocktownWardDirector
I love technology, and I’m actively learning more about it.
Recently, I completed a certificate course in AI for General Productivity with Cornell University.
I believe in using technology to improve lives. If we can use tech to make things better, I’m all for it.
To the point where I’m willing to extend another community offering.
I’m willing to coordinate and run one free AI intro course for the community. If at least 10 people sign up, I’ll make it real.
No prior knowledge required. If you have a phone and have never used AI before, this is for you. By the end of that hour, you will generally understand AI and be able to write your prompt ever. This will be FREE, but I will ask for a small donation for those who can afford to self-pay for my time and labor to prepare and coordinate this. As I said… I love y’all but I got bills too.
Sign up here:
https://bit.ly/RocktownIntrotoAI
10 people and it’s real. But back to ShotSpotter…
While the board was uno reversing a public vote without notice, I was taking a walk at Jim Dailey.
If I had known ShotSpotter was being discussed again, I would have tuned in like I usually do and spoken up. But I didn’t know. And that’s the problem.
Most people don’t regularly attend these meetings (myself included last night—they definitely caught me slipping), and this item wasn’t even on the agenda. But if we want more transparency, we have to start showing up. How do we make showing up a habit, not just a reaction?
Receipts. Proof. Timeline. On January 28th, I shared my thoughts about ShotSpotter before the last vote and whether it’s actually keeping us safer:
“Keeping it a buck, I think about ShotSpotter in my daily life like a high-tech version of that email address they tell us to use to report fireworks on the 4th of July—so $188,000 does seem like a stretch.”
“I think we’re right to question its value and ask for deeper data analysis, particularly in connection to how many calls and alerts from it actually convert to some tangible metric that indicates safety.”
“I’ll admit my bias and disbelief that increased surveillance makes me any safer as a resident of the areas generally targeted for this surveillance.”
“If a gunshot rings on 12th Street and you can track and trace it down to the block—but it doesn’t result in any direct investment in community programs or stabilization measures… did it make a sound?”
I stand by that. But I also stand by being present when these conversations happen.
We can’t always predict when a board member will pull a peekaboo motion like this, but we can make a real effort to start attending meetings, paying attention, and holding our city accountable.
So, what’s the move? How do we build a habit of showing up—before something catches us off guard again?
We didn’t know. And that’s the problem.
Looking for an easy way to start? Go take a walk or a swim.
You don’t have to do a giant thing to be engaged.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as putting on your sneakers and going to the community center, watching a board meeting live from the comfort of wherever you are, or attending in person if you want to be more in physical community.
Read more here:
https://RocktownRealness.com/jdfac
Stay engaged, Little Rock. Let’s watch out for when the next vote happens. I will make my best effort.
Will you? 
Watch the Board Meeting Discussion – Get firsthand info before forming an opinion. Discussion starts at the 28-minute mark: Facebook Video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/165TsMU3LE/
Contact Your City Director – They won’t know what you think unless you tell them. Even a quick check-in makes a difference. Find your representative here: https://bit.ly/RocktownWardDirector
Stay Updated on ShotSpotter Developments – I’ll update this page as I learn more. ShotSpotter LR Updates: https://rocktownrealness.com/ShotSpotter-LR
Know When Meetings Are Happening – We can’t show up if we don’t know when things are being decided. City Board Meeting Calendar: https://www.littlerock.gov/city-administration/board-of-directors/board-meeting-calendar/
Make Showing Up a Habit, Not Just a Reaction – If we want transparency, we have to be present.
Want a Low-Stakes Way to Start? Just Show Up at Jim Dailey.
Community engagement isn’t just about meetings—it’s about being part of the city. Take a walk, swim, or just be present. More on our space’s Jim Dailey Initiative: https://rocktownrealness.com/jdfac
Interested in AI? Join a Free Community Course.
Technology should work for people. If at least 10 people sign up, I’ll run a free AI intro course so more folks have access to tools that corporations are already using. I’m being audaciously hopeful that 10 people will sign up to learn about AI. “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Sign Up Here: https://bit.ly/RocktownIntrotoAI
Merrily we roll along,
Post Inspo from the Arkansas Times: Dubious decisions: LR City Board approves a re-do vote on controversial policing tool
A Rocktown real question!
I know that seems like a corporate question, but for real… People seem confused about ShotSpotter and it seems like there is more information that could be shared. Who knows the most in Little Rock about this technology? I certainly do not, but I’m willing to put any information that people feel the public needs to know right here in this real space for the sake of community, transparency, accountability and public access.