Richmond police add new weapon to crime-fighting arsenal
February 21, 2009
San Jose Mercury News
San Jose, CA
By Katherine Tam
Richmond, Ca.— Richmond police are adding a new tool to their crime-fighting arsenal: acoustic sensors that can pinpoint the location of a gunshot in a matter of seconds.
Officials are bringing the Shotspotter Gunshot Detection & Location System to a troubled 3-square-mile area that includes the North Richmond, Iron Triangle, Santa Fe, Coronado, Pullman and Stege neighborhoods. It's expected to be operating in about three months, Capt. Allwyn Brown said.
Officers, who tested the product last year, say it will help them respond to shootings faster, catch shooters and reduce injuries or deaths.
"Every person who shoots a gun knows we're going to find them," City Councilwoman Maria Viramontes said.
But officials acknowledge that the Shotspotter is not a cure-all for crime.
Richmond will be the first city in Contra Costa to install the Shotspotter, and the fifth in the Bay Area. The city is paying $728,250 for the system.
When a gun is fired now, sometimes it goes unreported. Sometimes, 911 dispatchers receive tips but callers usually can't say exactly how many shots were fired, where — the sound of a gunshot travels up to a half-mile — or from what direction.
The Shotspotter uses up to 20 sensors per square mile to capture the sound of a gunshot. It determines the location, plots it on a map and routes it to dispatchers, who alert officers. The system is exact enough that it can provide a building address or even say if the shot is fired 10 feet from the back of a building.
"When people call in, it's almost impossible to know where (the shot) it's coming from," Brown said. "This takes all that guesswork out of it."
The sound of gunfire is recorded and can be replayed to determine how many shots were fired, information officers use to figure out whether they are dealing with a single shooter or multiple shooters as they approach a scene.
Officials also can use the audio and forensic evidence in their investigations and prosecutions. And they can use the database to track where shootings occur and where patrols should be focused.
Thirty-five cities across the nation have used the system. Redwood City was the first in the Bay Area in 1996. Oakland, San Francisco and East Palo Alto followed suit within the last two years.
In San Francisco, the Shotspotter has led to a number of arrests at the scene, said Mikail Ali of the mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. And in one case, where the site of the shooting was different from where the victim was found, police were able to collect evidence from the first site because the Shotspotter gave the location.
The system notifies officers of shootings that otherwise would go unreported. Dispatchers at 911 receive calls on about 20 percent of the shootings popping up on Shotspotter, Ali said.
The location of gunfire is delivered within 10 seconds, Ali said, adding, "I've seen it as accurate as 5 to 10 feet, if not more accurate than that."
Ali suggested cities use fiber optic lines and a wireless system for greater speed. San Francisco plans to install the mapping tools in police cars so officers are notified immediately when a shot is fired; Ali said he recommends the same for other cities.
"This is not going to stop crime in and of itself, but it's an incredible tool in that effort," Ali said.
Representatives for Oakland and East Palo Alto police could not be reached for comment.
Erin Lopez |
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