Item Number: 14
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: May 6, 2025
Submitted By:
Tony Camargo, Deputy City Manager
Jerry Davenport, Police Captain
Subject:
Award of a Professional Services Provider Agreement to SoundThinking, Inc. for the Implementation of ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection Technology Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council:
(1) Award a professional services provider agreement to SoundThinking, Inc. for the purchase and deployment of ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection Technology; (2) Adopt Resolution No. 25-014 to amend the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget, to reflect an additional appropriation in the amount of $470,250;
(3) Approve the expenditure of Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) monies in the amount not to exceed $470,250; and (4) Authorize the City Manager or his designee to make any amendments to the contract as deemed necessary.
Fiscal Impact:
The recommended action will result in a fiscal impact of $470,250. Funds for this expenditure are maintained in the City of Victorville’s Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) pursuant to Assembly Bill 3229. Funds contained in the SLESF account are to be used exclusively to fund front-line municipal police services. Utilization of these funds will not have an impact on the City’s General Fund. This expense will be funded from the following account:
Account Amount
2702107-52300-20262 $470,250
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Strategic Plan Goal:
This item aligns with Strategic Goal B: Implement public safety strategies to support a thriving and growing community, as well as Strategy 7, by investing in technology that will assist efficient and effective police operations.
Background:
On average, less than 20% of gunfire incidents are reported to 9-1-1 nationwide. Over the past five years, the Victorville Police Department has received a total of 2,327 calls for gunshots fired and/or heard; however, due to underreporting, it is believed that this figure is nowhere near the actual number of incidents. During this same five-year period, the Police Department has been successful in seizing 3,084 firearms, including 656 ghost guns, however issues related to guns and gun violence persist. Many of the firearms seized are linked to the City's investments in 123 ALPR cameras throughout the City and two gun-sniffing K-9s.
Most law enforcement agencies are working with an 80-90% deficiency in their gun violence-related technology. The need for innovative technologies to assist police operations was identified as part of the City’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan to support our growing community. ShotSpotter has been implemented in other agencies in Southern California, such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Lancaster, the City of Compton, the City of Perris, and others. Victorville will be the first city in San Bernardino County to utilize this technology.
The average time it takes the Police Department to receive a call to dispatch, send officers with pertinent information regarding the crime, and have officers arrive at the location is typically several minutes. Officers are also likely to respond to an inaccurate location because it is difficult to determine where the sound originated because of how sound waves travel. Time wasted in these situations can be critical, especially when victims have been struck by the reported gunfire.
Discussion:
ShotSpotter technology is a gunfire detection, analysis and alert system that enhances a Police Department’s response and investigation time. Once installed and operational, sensors can detect loud, impulsive sounds, like gunshots. Recordings of these sounds are sent to ShotSpotter’s Incident Review Center (IRC), where it is determined whether it is legitimate gunfire. Once confirmed, the information is reported to the Police Department within 60 seconds (though often completed within 25 to 30 seconds) of the origination of the sound.
ShotSpotter’s IRC is able to determine whether multiple weapons are involved, the types of weapons involved (including whether high-capacity and/or automatic weapons were used), and by utilizing its sound detection triangulation, it can pinpoint the location where the sound originated within an 82 ft. radius. This information is invaluable to responding officers in determining their tactical approach and drastically decreasing response times.
ShotSpotter helps law enforcement agencies direct resources to the precise location of 3 6
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more than 90% of gunfire incidents with rapid notifications directly to dispatch, in-vehicle computers, and department issued smartphones of officers. Instant alerts enable first responders to aid victims, collect evidence and identify witnesses in these types of crimes. Additionally, ShotSpotter alerts can trigger other technology platforms, such as Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras and surveillance cameras that can pan and zoom in the direction of an event. This system has proven to deter shootings in the cities that have deployed the technology.
The City of Victorville is proposing 2.77 square miles of coverage to include the Brentwood/Hook area and the Oldtown/Midtown area. Analyzing the data available to pinpoint the locations of calls received (Attachment C), staff was able to determine optimal locations for gunshot detection sensors, due to the higher propensity of calls for gun activity. In addition to mounting these sensors on City-owned property, staff has received approval from Southern California Edison to mount the ShotSpotter equipment on a designated number of light poles.
Pursuant to Victorville Municipal Code (VMC) 2.28.100(b)(2), this product constitutes a sole source purchase (Attachment B). SoundThinking, Inc. is the only wide-area outdoor gunshot detection company in the world that offers this combination of technology, customer service, and experience.
Therefore, staff recommends that the Honorable City Council award the professional services agreement with SoundThinking, Inc. for the implementation of ShotSpotter gunshot detection technologyin an amount not to exceed $470,250 for a three-year term.
Staff remains available for any questions the Council may have.
Attachments: A. Resolution No. 25-014
B. Professional Services Agreement
C. SoundThinking ShotSpotter Sole Source Justification
D. Shots Fired & Heard Locations