We’re staunch believers that good police work, technology, and community outreach is the winning combination for tackling many of society’s ills. This past December we created a variety of community relations materials for agencies to use in their anti-celebratory gunfire campaigns for New Year’s Eve. To say they were successful would be an understatement!

We heard from many departments, telling us how the materials helped make planning their campaign easier. For me and for everyone else at ShotSpotter, hearing this was a great morale booster and shows the kind of successes possible when a community works together with their police department.

As departments across the U.S. gear up for another holiday associated with celebratory gunfire, we’ve revamped these free community relations materials to be specific for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.

Please note that the materials and tips provided are only suggestions and can be modified to suit your agency’s style and approach.

Free Materials include:

• Door hanger
• Campaign Flier in both Spanish and English
• Facts about celebratory gunfire
• Public Service Announcement script
• Sample press release

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the package of free campaign materials

To add extra oomph to the above materials, we’ve compiled a list of tips you can use in your campaign to prevent celebratory gunfire.

Tips to prevent celebratory gunfire:

• Review all ShotSpotter and other gunfire data from the previous year, and based on last year’s data, do targeted enforcement tactics including having teams in the area to respond to ShotSpotter GLS alerts as they happen
• end press releases about the campaign to all local media outlets informing them about your efforts to target celebratory gunfire on Independence Day
• Host a press conference with city leaders to inform the public that patrols will be up on Independence Day and officers will be out in force combating illegal gunfire
• Recruit local faith leaders, civil and youth organizations to spread the word that celebratory gunfire is illegal and will not be tolerated
• Mobilize community adult and youth organizations, like the Police Explorers program, to go door-to-door and pass out door hangers and fliers alerting residents to the dangers of celebratory gunfire
• Recruit concerned citizens and local businesses to display fliers and posters with facts about illegal gunfire in their windows
• Contact local gun and ammunition dealers asking them to ban the sale of ammunition a week before the Independence Day holiday
• Approach local billboard companies to donate billboard space to display your anti-celebratory gunfire campaign slogan
• Create a public service announcement for the local television and radio stations to broadcast

Share your successes!
If you have a great tip not listed above, or a program that has given you great success year after year, please let us know! We love to hear about the successes our customer’s have in tackling gun crime and violence associated with it.

Your suggestions may be incorporated in future campaigns, and most importantly, can help other agencies better serve and protect their communities.

Wishing all a safe and fun Fourth of July holiday!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the package of free campaign materials