Review of Controversial Gunfire Detection Technology Goes Before Public Safety Committee Wednesday – Pasadena Now

The Public Safety Committee will receive a review of the City’s ShotSpotter system at its meeting this week.

The system is gunshot detection technology that uses a network of acoustic sensors to detect, locate, alert and direct police to the sound of gunfire.

In October 2021, the City Council approved a $640,000, three-year contract for the software.

The City’s ShotSpotter system alerted police to two incidents on Saturday alone.

At 9:07 p.m. officers were alerted to Peoria Street by the gunshot detection technology where two people had been shot and injured, and about a half hour later, an alert and multiple 911 calls led police to Painter Street at Marengo Avenue where police found a man who was shot several times while driving with his 2-year-old son in the backseat.

The young boy was uninjured and returned to family.

Gunshot wounds can be fatal if not treated quickly. In 2021 Pasadena police said the system could lead to faster response save lives and possibly deter shootings.

Residents opposing the technology have said it does not work and does not address issues that lead to crime.

Critics also point to research that said ShotSpotter produced low arrest numbers and is plagued by privacy issues.

The system has helped police respond more quickly to shootings — many of which are not reported by local residents — and arguable saved lives.

In 2022 received 109 alerts from the system. So far this year, the system received 80 alerts — a monthly average increase of 70%.

Only 42 of those 80 shootings were reported via a 911 call, which means 78% of shootings were otherwise unreported.

When a gunshot occurs, the system’s sensors work instantly to triangulate the sound and pinpoint the location of the gunfire.

According to the manufacturer, trained ShotSpotter acoustic experts are on duty 24/7 to review and qualify all gunfire incidents. If the acoustic expert determines the sound to be actual gunfire, a detailed alert is sent to the local law enforcement agency. 

The review and alert occur within a minute or less of the actual gunfire event.

Nationwide, fewer than 20% of all gunshots are reported to 911 dispatchers. ShotSpotter technology eliminates the reliance on delayed and/or unreported calls and the immediate alerts should enable officers to mobilize and safely respond to the incident quickly, police said.

Interestingly, Pasadena is hovering around that national average.

The gunfire data can also provide investigating officers with detailed information to improve evidence collection, prosecution and overall crime-fighting efforts.

The Public Safety Committee meeting begins at 4 p.m. on June 21 in City Council Hambers at City Hall.