POLICEDEPARTMENTReview of ShotSpotter System(recently changed company name to SoundThinking, Inc.) Commander William GrisafeOctober 16, 2023 Police DepartmentBACKGROUND•January of 2019, the City began to see a surge in gun violence thatincluded an increased number of “Shots Fired” CFS and gun relatedcrimes:>Assaults using a firearm(s)>Robberies utilizing a firearm(s)>Illegal possession of a firearm(s)>Felons in possession of a firearm(s)>Possession of Ammunition>Possession of silencer•Gun violence resulted in 39 members of the Pasadena communityeither killed or injured(January 2019 – June 2021)•The Pasadena Police Department seized almost 700 firearms2
Police DepartmentBACKGROUND•Examined ShotSpotter system to determine if it could assist inreducing on-going violence•ShotSpotter system is an acoustic gunshot detection, alert, andanalysis system designed to enhance the Police Department’sresponse & investigation into gun violence incidents•Deterrent for would-be shooters while providing precise location for arapid response by first responders•System’s core capabilities>Detect – quickly locates gunfire incidents enabling a fast & precise response>Protect – comprehensive information provides critical response information>Connect – Rapid response by officers to communities impacted by gunviolence•Improves the reporting of shooting incidents3 Police DepartmentBACKGROUND•Provided ShotSpotter with 2 ½ years of gun related crime data•Analysis of data determined location of sensors•Proposed 3 square mile area of Pasadena community mostimpacted 4 Police DepartmentBACKGROUND•ShotSpotter technicians installed various sensors throughout theproposed area•The system listens for loud, impulsive sounds (i.e. gunshots) whichgenerate an incident•Sound triangulation determines shot location within an 82 ft. radius•Smaller caliber firearms and guns fired from within a building orvehicle are not guaranteed to register on system•2 Phase review>Artificial Intelligence software reviews and filters out any non-gunfireincidents>ShotSpotter’s Incident Review Center for verification by acoustic experts•All confirmed gunfire incident are sent out to users via app within 60seconds or less5 Police DepartmentBACKGROUNDHow ShotSpotter System Works 6 Data Provided1. Precise location2. Date/Time Stamp3. Multiple shooters4. Automatic / high capacity 5. Short audio clip of shots
Police DepartmentBENEFITS OF SYSTEM•Accurate location = faster response by first responders>Life saving measures>Preserve evidence>Locate witnesses>Locate/apprehend shooting suspect(s)•Better information for officers>Identifies multiple shooters and number of rounds>Types of weapons – high capacity or fully automatic weapons>Information provides critical information for a safer response•Sound evidence can assist in criminal proceedings – “Where &When”>Only a piece of the investigation – arrests not made solely on ShotSpotterevidence>Sound evidence works in concert with other forensic evidence / detectiveinvestigation7
Police DepartmentREVIEW OF SYSTEM•ShotSpotter system was approved by Council September of 2021 and went live in Pasadena on February 9, 2022•System Provides “Gunshot” or “Probable Gunshot” Alerts>2022 received 109 alerts>2023 received 145 alerts (Jan 1st– September 30th)>Received only 59 correlating 9-1-1 calls for all 254 alerts >77% of shootings go unreported>When an alert is received, if officers are unable to locate evidence, it is difficult to determine if it was an actual shooting8 Police DepartmentREVIEW OF SYSTEM
*Years 2020 & 2021 numbers do not capture unreported shootings9 Year Shooting InvestigationsVictims Injured or Killed2020 59 282021 73 232022 49 142023 41 (YTD through September 30th, 2023)21 Police DepartmentREVIEW OF SYSTEMSignificant Incidents•Highlights>February 27, 2022- A female victim shot multiple times after a physicalaltercation. Officers were on-scene in less than 2 minutes and immediatelybegan to provide medical care.>April 29, 2022- ShotSpotter alerted officers to a single gunshot. Officersarrived at the identified location and contacted group of intoxicatedindividuals who admitted to firing a gun. 2 firearms were recovered, andarrests made.>October 10, 2022- Officers responded to a gunfire alert and approached amale who was in the immediate area of where ShotSpotter had directedthem. The male fled on foot as officers contacted him and discarded afirearm while running away.>January 8, 2023– Officers arrived on scene of a shooting within 1 minute toprovide life saving measures to male who had sustained multiple gunshots.10 Police DepartmentREVIEW OF SYSTEMSignificant Incidents•Highlights (cont.)>March 4, 2023– Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert and stopped avehicle that was fleeing the area at a high rate of speed. The driver of thevehicle had sustained a minor gunshot injury and was found to posses aloaded firearm in his vehicle.>March 25, 2023– Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert and locatedseveral people in vehicles in the immediate area of where the gunshot wasdetected. Evidence of the shooting and a firearm was recovered from oneof the involved vehicles.>September 1, 2023– Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at the northend of Robinson Park and located video evidence that assisted inidentifying a suspect vehicle. The vehicle was found approximately 1 hourlater, and a stop of the vehicle was conducted. 2 firearms were recovered.11 Police DepartmentREVIEW OF SYSTEMSignificant Incidents•Shooting Incidents when ShotSpotter Performed Poorly>October 30, 2022– Homicide investigation – sound was captured but noalert received>January 8, 2023– The system mis-located the previously mentioned shootingby approximately 30 yards and failed to advise a fully automatic weaponwas used during the shooting 12 Police DepartmentSYSTEM’S EFFICACY•Deterrent results>Significant decrease in shootings compared to years 2020 and 2021>Decrease in number of individuals injured by gunfire•Faster response by first responders to provide medical care andpotentially save lives•Precise information routinely assists with investigations•Minimizes the reliance on residents from reporting violence>Reluctance to report>Diminished accuracy of information reported13 Police DepartmentFISCAL IMPACT•Year 1 - $220,000 from unappropriated fund balance in the Supplemental Law Enforcement Fund 201•Year 2 - $210,000 Budgeted in the Public Safety Augmentation Fund 202•Year 3 - $210,000 Budgeted in the Public Safety Augmentation Fund 20214