ShotSpotter quiets gunfire in west Montgomery neighborhoods
Montgomery Advertiser
By Scott Johnson
Police, neighborhood leaders and city officials are singing the praises of a new technology aimed at keeping west Montgomery safer.
ShotSpotter made its debut in June as part of the West Montgomery Initiative, the city's west-side revitalization effort. The system can pinpoint the location of a gunshot in the one-square-mile area where its sensors are located.
Voncile Gregory said ShotSpotter has made a big difference in her neighborhood off Rosa L. Parks Avenue.
"We used to have random shootings every other night," said Gregory, who is president of the Nixon Times Neighborhood Association.
Now, she said she hasn't heard any gunshots since a few people let loose with celebratory gunfire on the Fourth of July.
The city will not reveal the exact location that ShotSpotter monitors, saying only that it is in the West Fairview Avenue area.
The people who had been shooting guns in Gregory's neighborhood, however, apparently have discovered that they are within its range.
"I am sure they are aware now that they can be caught in a matter of minutes," Gregory said.
When ShotSpotter detects a gunshot, officers in the area are notified immediately, said Capt. Otis Perkins, commander of the Montgomery Police Department's west precinct.
"Without the system, you have to wait for someone to call," Perkins said.
Police have discovered that the system can be used as a deterrent, he said. People involved in random gunfire learn quickly that firing a gun will bring the police to their door.
"They are not going to tell you (if they fired a gun), but it is going to raise their awareness," Perkins said.
ShotSpotter also can be used to plan such things as special details in certain areas, Deputy Mayor Jeff Downes said.
The system produces detailed data on where and when shots have been fired, allowing the Police Department to be more proactive, Downes said.
ShotSpotter's initial cost was $200,000, and there is a $30,000 annual fee. Downes said it has been well worth the money.
"It is clear that the investment, which was creative, paid off," he said.
It might have been a life-saving investment as well.
Perkins said that officers started heading toward the site of multiple gunshots earlier this year as soon as the shots were detected. The officers found a man with a gun still in his hand near a crowded nightclub, he added.
"Who knows, maybe we did stop a violent crime from taking place," Perkins said.
Roselia Harris has noticed a difference in her neighborhood north of Fairview and west of Interstate 65.
"I used to hear (gunshots) frequently, but I don't really hear too many any more," said Harris, coordinator for the Westcottville Neighborhood Association.
Problems with prostitution and drugs persist in the neighborhood, she said, but even those activities seem less pervasive.
City officials would like to use ShotSpotter in more areas of the city, possibly using grant money to fund it, Downes said.
"If resources become available, (ShotSpotter) will be high on the priority list," he said.
The shot-tracking system is just one part of the West Montgomery Initiative, which includes various developments and beautification projects.
The public safety component of the initiative is, however, perhaps the most important part.
"Unless everybody feels safe, all (the other projects are) for naught," Downes said.
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ShotSpotter contact |
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Erin Lopez |
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