York City Police Adjust Coverage Thanks to ShotSpotter
BROCK PARKER - The York Dispatch
Article Last Updated: 09/11/2008 10:50:36 AM EDT
York City Police have begun targeted patrols based on information from the city's new ShotSpotter system.
Police Commissioner Mark Whitman said Wednesday that adjustments to the gunfire detection system are enabling police to more precisely pinpoint the location of gunfire, instead of simply using the system identifying the general area of shots.
As a result, Whitman said, police have started some "more directed gun patrols" and are hoping they lead to more arrests and deterrence.
In August, the ShotSpotter system detected 83 incidents of gunfire in the city -- down from 157 gunshots picked up by the system in July and 103 shots detected in June, according to York City Police.
"I think 83 is a very high number," Whitman said. "Our goal is to get it to as close to zero as we can."
The number of firecrackers detected by the ShotSpotter system in August was 707 -- down dramatically from the 4,463 incidents in July and the 1,339 firecrackers the system detected in a single day on July 4th.
Whitman said police are also about to install two additional sensors for the ShotSpotter system to address areas where gunfire has been verified by police officers, but went undetected by the system. The system of sound sensors and cameras is designed to detect gunshots, map their location and notify police and York County 911 within seconds. It will cost the city $650,000 during the next five years.
Early results: Despite continuing needs to adjust and "tweak" the ShotSpotter system throughout the first year of its use, Whitman said, police are already seeing results.
He said police were able to use the system to help identify some people at the scene of the fatal shooting of Ian Chambers, who was shot in the area of South Penn and West Princess streets Saturday afternoon.
Whitman said the ShotSpotter system detected the gunfire simultaneously or possibly even prior to the first report police received of the shooting, and he said police did recover one gun at the scene.
By being able to quickly identify the exact location of a shooting, Whitman said the ShotSpotter system often allows police to arrive at crime scenes more quickly, and as a result they can collect better evidence to build a case.
In other instances, Whitman said, police have used the ShotSpotter system to "verify or knock down" the stories of people who arrive at York Hospital with gunshot wounds, and claim to have been shot in certain locations of the city. Sometimes the stories have checked out, or have been disproved by the ShotSpotter system, Whitman said.
"As an investigative tool, it's been beneficial," Whitman said.
Reach Brock Parker at 505-5434 or bparker@yorkdispatch.com.
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