The consequences and risks of celebratory gunfire can be significant and serious. Many law enforcement agencies proactively announce their plans to maximize their focus and response to celebratory gunfire incidents publicly through direct community outreach and local media. This has proven to be a good deterrence as it reinforces the agency’s commitment to the safety of its communities and its zero tolerance position on illegal gun use and gun crime.

 

You can use this communications template for all peak times of celebratory gunfire activity.

 

Recommended Communications & Media Activities

Below are ideas to support your efforts to combat celebratory gunfire: 
 

·        Issue a media advisory or press release and/or conduct a press event announcing your proactive plans to deal with celebratory gunfire (Use our media advisory template linked at the bottom of this page).

·        Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, agency website) to communicate the risks and dangers of celebratory gunfire and also your proactive plans to deter any illegal gunfire and other crimes during the upcoming holiday.

·        Use your ShotSpotter gunfire data to identify hotspots of gunfire and firecracker activity to improve your strategic deployments.

·        Conduct a Roll Call or other community engagement event in one of your high volume gunfire areas to show presence and commitment to the residents of that area and to help deter illegal gunfire and criminal activity.

  ·      Work with SST to develop benchmark studies and success stories in regard to response, deterrence and reduction of celebratory gunfire. These can be used to highlight the effectiveness of your data-driven and community policing strategies and tactical operations with the local community, media and city officials.

·        Distribute notices of your proactive policing plans regarding celebratory gunfire and/or knock on doors and engage residents in affected areas.

·        Use SST resources to provide additional information if needed to help support your analysis of data, details for media, etc. 

Below is a sampling of media articles from some of our customer cities: 

Law Enforcement Agencies Crackdown on New Year’s Gunfire (CNN)

East Palo Alto, Redwood City Police Warn Revelers Not to Shoot Guns into the Air on New Year’s Eve

Police Announce “Operation Silent Night” for New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Gunfire Could Lead to Prison

Police Plan to Use ShotSpotter on New Year’s Eve


Click on this link for the Media Advisory Template.

Suggested Timeline

 

Timeframe

Activity

3 - 4 weeks prior to the holiday

SST Customer Support will be in contact with your agency to share information on the ShotSpotter Fireworks Suppression capabilities and offer instructions and recommendations for its use during the holiday time period.
 

2 – 3 weeks prior to the holiday

SST will send Recommended Communications Activities information and a reminder to your agency.
 

1 – 2 weeks prior to the holiday

Release a media advisory, hold a press conference and conduct other community outreach activities.
 

1 – 2 days prior and on the day of the holiday

Conduct a press conference and Roll Call in an affected neighborhood to reinforce your message on celebratory gunfire.  This would engage both the community as well as the media and would be very visible to the people and areas more prone to celebratory gunfire.
 

Within 1 - 2 weeks after the holiday

Develop a benchmark report or case study highlighting the results of having proactively addressed the celebratory gunfire issue. SST can provide support and help producing this. This could serve as another opportunity to engage the media and community as a follow-up press conference, press release, Roll Call and community outreach event.

It can also provide reinforcement to city management, funding resources and other influencers on the benefits and successes of your proactive, data-driven policing strategies and deployments.
 

  

Sample Tweets on Celebratory Gunfire Deterrence
Below are some sample tweets that you could use on Twitter to increase your communications:

 

·         What goes up, must come down. That includes bullets. No #celebratorygunfire on #July4. It could be deadly. <Agency Twitter ID> uses @shotspotter.
 

 

·         Play it safe this #July4. Firing guns to celebrate could kill/injure someone. <Agency Twitter ID> is using @shotspotter to find gunfire & shooters fast.
 

 

·         <Agency Twitter ID> says no #celebratorygunfire this #July4. It could hurt someone and land you in jail. We're protecting our #community.


 

·         @shotspotter gets <Agency Twitter ID> to gunfire incidents fast! Shoot a gun to celebrate #July4 and we'll find you. Have fun & don't risk lives.
 

 

·         #Gunfire & #July4 don't mix. Wouldn't you rather be having fun instead of worrying about gunshots?  <Agency Twitter ID> & @shotspotter are on the watch.
 

 

·         #July4 is a day of celebration. Let's keep it that way. No #celebratorygunfire. <Agency Twitter ID> & @shotspotter are on alert.