Victorville has become the first city in San Bernardino County to install ShotSpotter gunshot detection systems, and officials say they’re already helping police solve crimes.
The devices — which listen for gunshots, triangulate their location and rapidly provide the information to law enforcement — have already been getting results during a recent trial period in the city’s Brentwood and Old Town neighborhoods, which have high rates of gun-related calls for service, city officials said.
“Since its deployment three weeks ago, ShotSpotter has already helped the Victorville Police Department solve three gun-related incidents that were not reported to 911,” according to a city statement. “On average, less than 20 percent of gunfire incidents are reported to 911 nationwide.”
What is ShotSpotter?
ShotSpotter systems are capable of providing information regarding gunfire to police within seconds, city officials said.
In addition to detecting gunshots, “It determines whether multiple weapons are involved, the types of weapons used, and pinpoints the location of the gunfire informing law enforcement’s tactical response and investigation,” according to the statement.
Representatives of SoundThinking Inc., which created and operated the system, said the data is sent to experts at the company’s 24-hour Incident Review Center for analysis and confirmation before officers are dispatched.
The acoustic experts “can append the alert with other critical intelligence such as whether a fully automatic weapon was fired or whether there are multiple shooters,” according to a company statement. “This entire process takes less than 60 seconds from the time of the shooting to the digital alert popping onto a screen of a computer in the 911 Call Center or on a patrol officer’s smartphone or mobile laptop.”
The technology has critics, however, who argue that such measures contribute to over-policing and disproportionally affect minority communities.
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‘Helping us step up our game’
Capt. Jerry Davenport, who heads the Victorville Police Department, said the system was already proving its value.
“ShotSpotter is a beneficial tool that is helping our deputies solve crime quicker and take guns off the street,” he said. “Many gunshots go unreported, and the reports we do receive typically have incorrect locations, so this technology is helping us step up our game.”
Victorville Mayor Liz Becerra said she also enthusiastically supported the program.
“The City of Victorville is investing in advanced technologies to increase the effectiveness of our law enforcement for a safer Victorville. We’re giving our public safety personnel the equipment they need to be more proactive, quicker to respond, and better able to investigate and solve crimes,” she said.
City officials have agreed to an initial three-year contract for ShotSpotter systems for $470,000, officials said. The money is coming from Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Funds via Assembly Bill 3229.
More crime fighting tech on the horizon
ShotSpotter is just the latest piece of technology Victorville is embracing, and will continue to embrace, to combat crime, officials said.
More than 120 automated license plate readers were recently deployed in the city.
“Next, the City plans to launch a public safety drone program,” the city statement said. “The intelligence gathered through these crime-fighting technologies will be captured in the City’s planned real-time crime center.”
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This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Victorville first city in San Bernardino County to install ShotSpotter gunshot detection
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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