Previously developed for and tested with the Department of Defense for military applications, ShotSpotter has seen an increasing demand by cities with high gun violence to not just immediately know about and locate a gunshot, but to get instant visuals of the shooter and likely escape routes.
"We've recently deployed the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System," said Mayor Scott L. King, of Gary, Indiana. "As we announced previously, we are also planning to install video surveillance cameras in high crime areas of the city, and intend, as the next logical step, to request that ShotSpotter integrate the two technologies. The combination of these two technologies will enhance the ability of our police officers to combat gun violence."
ShotSpotter works with virtually any camera manufacturer, system provider or integrator. The cameras can be located anywhere within a coverage area, and do not need to be co-located with gunshot sensors. ShotSpotter systems can control multiple cameras, including those already installed for various surveillance purposes.
ShotSpotter provides the only systems which deliver live audio of gunshot events to investigators. The new ShotSpotter video-integrated systems automatically store video records of events as well, providing investigators virtual "eyes and ears" for use as evidence at trial.
The ShotSpotter system has been implemented in a dozen cities around the country, some for as long as 9 years. Cities in which the system is deployed have seen a marked decrease in gunfire - anywhere from 38% (North Charleston, SC) to 75% (Redwood City, CA) depending on length of deployment.
"We are currently in various stages of testing or deploying the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System with ballistics-proof, enclosed camera integration in Cook County, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Prince Georges County, MD, Cincinnati, OH and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN," said Major General (Ret.) Steve Siegfried, ShotSpotter vice chairman and former director of homeland security for South Carolina.
