Earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, designating $1.9 trillion in federal funds to help local governments confront the financial burdens imposed by dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
About $52 million went to the city of Mesa to be spent on health initiatives, economic recovery and community services. And in the name of public health, Mesa is spending more than $3 million on a high-tech “real-time crime center.”
The city says it is necessary to help keep crime down in Mesa, while critics argue those funds could be better spent in the communities.
Katya Schwenk is a staff writer with the Phoenix New Times and she has been covering this.
The Show spoke with her to learn about the crime center and arguments against it.
