OPD ShotSpotter Contract Renewal
City Council Meeting
October 15, 2024
2 ShotSpotter is a valuable tool for OPD that is imbedded in daily operations.
Rapid Response &
Situational Awareness
Initial Scene
Investigation
Crime Lab Evidence &
Case Management
Shooting Review &
CeaseFire
Alerts received within 60 seconds
Exact location with supporting audio and rounds fired Situational awareness for officer safety
Identify victims and Render Aid
Speak with witnesses
Collect valuable evidence (shell casings, etc.)
Document findings from case
Log evidence for lab testing
Track Crime Gun findings and matches
ShotSpotter in Oakland Police Department
Ongoing Gunfire
Intelligence
Support gun violence intervention activities
Weekly review of shooting investigations
Collaboration on incidents and potential retaliation
Data-driven strategies & resource deployment
Aggregate data for trends and patterns
Intelligence to support investigations
3 Gunfire Activity in Oakland
Annual Gunfire Alerts
Alerts with Dispatch
CAD ID
More than 95% of gunfire is not reported in the first 15 minutes or at all.
Without this critical tool for public safety, gunfire in Oakland would largely go unreported.
<5% 911 Calls
8% 6% 4% 3%
4 The Value to Oakland – Key Metrics
Non-fatal Victims associated with ShotSpotter Alert
Non-fatal Victims - ShotSpotter Alone
Reports Taken
The absence of physical evidence does not
indicate a false positive or that gunfire did
not occur
700-1,000: Additional reports each year.
Classified as Evidence Technician, Transport,
Assignment Report or Administrative
5 Cost of Gun Violence
https://costofviolence.org/oakland-ca/
6 Defining Accuracy
The absence of physical evidence does not indicate a false positive or that gunfire did not occur.
Lack of a Victim
Lack of Recovered Casings
Lack of a Filed Case
Lack of Property Damage
False Positive
Despite the lack of immediate
evidence, the intelligence from
shooting trends/patterns have
provided valuable insights.
7 Defining ShotSpotter Accuracy
90 %
97 %
99 %
Contractually guaranteed accuracy
Average across all customers
Oakland 2023 Accuracy
Missed Incidents
An unsuppressed gunshot incident that meets
reporting criteria but was not detected by
ShotSpotter system
Misclassified Incidents
A detected and located incident, incorrectly classified by ShotSpotter. Misclassification types include: False Positive and False Negative incidents.
Mislocated Incidents
A gunfire incident correctly identified by
ShotSpotter but produced with an inaccurate location
greater than 25 meters (82 ft) from the confirmed
shooting location.
8 The Value to Oakland – Key Metrics
Arrests Associated with ShotSpotter Alerts
Guns Recovered
Crime Lab Requests
Crime Lab Matches
76% of lab
requests are from a
ShotSpotter alert
60% of NIBIN
hits/leads are from
a ShotSpotter alert
9 Gunfire Activity in Oakland – District View
While illegal gunfire is a problem for the entire city, 85% of this activity is concentrated in 4 districts.
2.3%
10.2%
10.9%
2.6%
18.6%
27.4%
31.2%
Councilmember
Kalb – District 1
700 Alerts
2.3%
Councilmember
Bas – District 2
3,150 Alerts
10.2%
Councilmember
Fife – District 3
3,394 Alerts
10.9%
Councilmember
Ramachandran –
District 4
818 Alerts
2.6%
Councilmember
Gallo – District 5
5,780 Alerts
18.6%
Councilmember
Jenkins – District 6
8,510 Alerts
27.4%
Councilmember
Reid – District 7
8,679 Alerts
31.2%
17 Understanding ShotSpotter
The ShotSpotter acoustic gunshot detection technology is based on science.
18 Understanding ShotSpotter
Specific location data and incident specifics are sent to offices within 60 seconds.
Patrol Car View Cell Phone View
Claim Fact
“Many jurisdictions have declined to
adopt the technology after pilots or
have not to renewed upon expiration.”
Incorrect.
More than 170 cities in the US use ShotSpotter (
In the last 18 months:
• 136 existing municipalities renewed ShotSpotter
• 40 new municipalities deployed ShotSpotter
• 25 existing customers expanded their coverage areas
“80% of alerts do not lead to physical
evidence – therefore fails 80% time.”
Incorrect metric.
ShotSpotter is designed to detect gunfire
• Absence of physical evidence does not mean gunfire did not occur – ShotSpotter is accepted as digital witness
• >95% or more of gunfire incidents do NOT get 911 call • In fact, evidence collection rates on 911 gunfire incidents without ShotSpotter– are even lower
• ShotSpotter evidence collection rates up to 3x higher 19 In previous meetings, several inaccurate claims were made about ShotSpotter.
Setting the Record Straight
Claim Fact
“ShotSpotter is not accurate.” False.
• Contractually 90% accuracy
• Across all customers, independently verified 97%
• Oakland: 99%
“Studies show that ShotSpotter has no
impact on crime.”
Even though ShotSpotter is not designed to prevent gunfire, independent research* suggests:
• Response to gunfire significantly faster than those called into 911 • 24% reduction in assaults and homicides
• 26:1 ROI
• After ShotSpotter goes live, fatality rates are about 4 percentage points lower in the areas with the technology.
• In Chicago, “a 3-in-4 chance that the technology saves about 85 lives per year.”
20 Sources: University of Chicago Crime Lab Study, September, 2024; “The Impact of ShotSpotter in Winston-Salem, NC,” July, 2024, Dennis Mares and Andrew Buettner, Center for Crime Science and Violence Prevention, Southern Illinois University Setting the Record Straight
21 ShotSpotter is a valuable tool for OPD in that it provides valuable insight into illegal gun activity across Oakland that it otherwise would not be aware of.
Summary
The ShotSpotter Technology…
helps render aid to victims and save lives
enables faster and a more comprehensive response to criminal gunfire (less than 5% of which is reported by 911)
assists in collecting evidence, apprehending criminals, and recovering illegal guns is a critical foundation that enables Operation Ceasefire is a force multiplier to support current OPD patrolling resources