Shot Spotter

[smithw14]

I heard my first reference last night to the new "Shot Spotter" system that is apparently now up and running here in Birmingham. It gave an exact address - that was kinda neat. I'm interested to know if this thing is actually going to do any good or just be big waste of money for the city. I have no doubt that the system will be able to detect gunshots and pinpoint their location (well, ok, I do have a little doubt on the accuracy of detecting a "gunshot" vs fireworks, thunder, etc.), but my biggest skepticism is that once it gets dispatched and police arrive, how helpful will this really be?

When gunshots are fired in the city, often nobody calls 911 (sadly). I usually don’t and I live on the Southside, where it rarely happens. Sometimes 1 or 2 people will, and occasionally everybody and their mother will call in. Sure, locations given are varied by the reporting parties, because, well, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact location unless its happening in front of your face. So I can see where, if the shot spotter really works, this would zero-in on a location. But then what?

I assume system apparently sends signals to the radio room, it is received by a dispatcher, then prioritized accordingly with everything else going on. When appropriate, it is dispatched or BOLO’ed (although I dunno, David E, do you guys have protocol to dispatch on all these as opposed to just BOLO?). Then you have officer response time.

Unless somebody is shot or property is damaged, you usually have no victim to check in with. And I sure don’t know of many people who will sit outside and start shooting in an urban setting, then just kinda hangout in the same spot for 3-6 minutes. If an officer is already close by, and turn-around time from the device, to the radio room, to dispatching is relatively quick, then yeah, I can see how iit could do some good.

::shrugs::

If you can't tell, I'm generally a skeptical guys. I am hopeful though that it will do something positive for the city...I guess we will see! Any other thoughts from anybody?

On the web: www.shotspotter.com

-William

 

[delta_p]

Wow. I didn't know they had such a system set up in Birmingham. Maybe it can be used to keep the criminal element on the run or track it better? If an area of town shows high hits on the system over the months, the PD could prioritize patrol zones and see how the criminal element moves throughout the year in the city. I don't know? there has to something useful for it. : )

PP

 

[wlmr]

Phoenix had a girl killed in 1999 due to a weapon fired in the air. It would have helped a lot to have had in service then. They would have had info for that time interval on where shots had been fired to try and locate who did it.

I suspect it's not too hard to differentiate the sound differences between thunder and gunfire. Fireworks might take more work but bet it's been worked out.

I think a system is now in place for Metro Phoenix but can't recall for certain. The law for discharging a firearm has been given way more teeth though. Either google Shannon's Law and Phoenix or here's at least one link I found.

http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=04becd3b-0589-4b45-aa0c-33b72a9003af

 

[dave911]

William - I was with Dave Friday, taking pictures for my website, when the shot spotter went off on the evening shift. Let's just say that they don't take it lightly, at all. I'll leave the details, if any, to Dave.

 

[TechnoDave]

While there is no real 'gag order' in place, I'm not really at liberty to divulge a lot of information about it.

Unrelated to the shot spotter specifically, shots fired calls are NOT to be BOLO'd, an actual dispatch must happen.


There is some information and testimonials at www.shotspotter.com

 

[smithw14]

While there is no real 'gag order' in place, I'm not really at liberty to divulge a lot of information about it.

Unrelated to the shot spotter specifically, shots fired calls are NOT to be BOLO'd, an actual dispatch must happen.

Yeah, I figured you would not want to say much...understandably. I guess there is a big difference between "supposed to do" and "actually do" with regard to not BOLOing shots fired calls - your co-workers seem to do it quite a bit if no reporting party wishes to speak.

Like I said, I'm interested to see if this system does anything beneficial. It will take some time.

William

 

[SIGG]

Boston Police has had shot spotter here for a while and from monitoring them, it seems to work real well. They'll get a hit on shot spotter from a specific location and dispatch officers there, then start getting 911 calls a minute or so later. That minute can really mean a lot.

Also, it seems that shot spotter is more accurate than trying to determine a location based on a few different 911 calls. Officers are often asking what address came in on shot spotter when getting dispatched to shots fired calls.

 

[smithw14]

Boston Police has had shot spotter here for a while and from monitoring them, it seems to work real well. They'll get a hit on shot spotter from a specific location and dispatch officers there, then start getting 911 calls a minute or so later. That minute can really mean a lot.

Also, it seems that shot spotter is more accurate than trying to determine a location based on a few different 911 calls. Officers are often asking what address came in on shot spotter when getting dispatched to shots fired calls.

Interesting - thanks for your comments. Have there been any statistics reported either by the news there or released by the department about a reduction in crime, increase in arrests, or any apparent deterrent factor from having the system?

 

[SIGG]

Interesting - thanks for your comments. Have there been any statistics reported either by the news there or released by the department about a reduction in crime, increase in arrests, or any apparent deterrent factor from having the system?

I haven't heard anything about Shot Spotter's effectiveness as of yet. That said I'm not affiliated with Boston PD in any way at all, just monitor their freq sometimes . I haven't seen anything in the media either except just advising that BPD had installed the system.

I did come across this article which is pretty interesting. This is only from Oct of '07 and it appears they were testing the system still.

Again, my knowledge is very limited, coming only from monitoring their freq. Based on that however, it appears to be working well, and its readings seem to be regarded highly by responding officers.

 

[smithw14]

I gotcha - well hey - sometimes the best info can come from scanner listeners! ha ha. That article is interesting, and funny at the same time...because, I'm sure Birmingham went through similar testing, but didn't bother notifying the community - because real shots or simulated shots, not many people care either way! Crazyness.

So it sounds like the system is fairly new up there as well.

 

[TechnoDave]

There are a few testimonials on the shotspotter website. Granted they are only going to put the GOOD comments on their own website. I havent read much of the info there, Im just passing along a reference... there may be statisical info there too.

 

[TechnoDave]

William, check your PM

 

[smithw14]

There are a few testimonials on the shotspotter website. Granted they are only going to put the GOOD comments on their own website. I havent read much of the info there, Im just passing along a reference... there may be statisical info there too.

Yeah, I've worked for companies before and seen how they get "testimonials". LOL - thats why I am searching for unbiased reviews somewhere. Interesting though.

On a side note, I think they should develop something called Shot Spotter/Sharp Shooter.

Arm the thing with an AR-15 or some sort of sniper rifle. If it can detect the gunshots to a specific location, it just needs to then open fire.

Crime problem solved.

 

[TechnoDave]

TA-DAH.... Well, here ya go.

Police credit gunfire detection system in nabbing suspect
Posted by Birmingham News staff January 30, 2008 5:49 PM

Birmingham police are crediting a new gunfire detection system with helping them catch a gunman.

Police announced this afternoon the arrest of 20-year-old James Rogers for firing a weapon within city limits. Rogers is the first arrest police are crediting to the system.

Police said Rogers was captured Tuesday morning after the new ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System detected multiple gunshots in the 200 block of 80th Street South.

The system uses sensors to detect gunshots and alert police. The system is supposed to speed response times to shootings and can apparently differentiate between gunfire and firecrackers.

Rogers was in the Birmingham City Jail Wednesday on $2,500 bond.
Toraine Norris

 

[smithw14]

Well cool. I still they they need to give the thing a high powered rifle. Glad its doing some good.

 

[toadtraxracing]

I can see where this would be effective. When we get shots fired calls, it usually ends up being 5 or 6 different 911 calls. As someone said earlier, the problem lies in the fact that 1 person calls from 111 ABC street and heard 2 shots, the next calls from 222 XYZ and heard 2 shots, and so forth......well ABC and XYZ streets may be several blocks or up to a couple miles apart. Doesnt really do much good. VERY VERY seldom do officers find something on a shots call. Usually its followed up by a shooting call if it really is something. I can see where this system would be useful if its as good as claimed.

 

[SIGG]

... and can apparently differentiate between gunfire and firecrackers.

This is another thing I've noticed from monitoring Boston PD. If there's a 911 shots fired call, but nothing registered with shots spotter, it often times ends up being fireworks.

 

[toadtraxracing]

I wish we had this system simply for the fact of officer safety. If shot spotter reported shots in the area we had officers at, we would know to immediately check status.