ShotSpotter being tested in New Bedford

[daveshrews]

I'm just curious what you guys think about this whole ShotSpotter system. I've heard some people say it works very well and is useful to police, and some people say it's the biggest waste of money ever, second only to the Big Dig. It's my understanding that it's currently operational in Boston, and now they are testing it in New Bedford. Your thoughts?

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1348498&srvc=rss

 

[Broc]

"I want to allay anybody's fears. This is not something they should be frightened about. These are highly trained, professional people doing this," said New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang.

 

[jefftk]

Firing multiple weapons into a sand barrier, a team of police and firearms experts Monday night began calibrating a system of acoustic sensors designed to pinpoint gunshot locations.

New Bedford is the fourth city in Massachusetts to deploy the system, after Boston, Brockton and Springfield. More than 50 cities across the globe use ShotSpotter, including St. Louis, San Francisco and Washington.

Apparently several MA cities use these already, does anyone know if they are working effectively?

Kenneth Resendes, president of the Bullard Street Neighborhood Association, said he has mixed feelings.

"All it's going to do is tell the police where the shots were fired, not where the (gunman) went," Resendes said.

"At $100,000 a year, I don't know if it's going to pay for itself. I'd rather see them take that money and put it into more police officers on the street."

I know acoustic gunshot locator systems are not necessarily new, the army has been developing them for a while to find snipers. I would expect this would be much more difficult in cities though, with so many echoes and large buildings blocking sound. You would need lots of sensors and a good network to support them, which is probably in part why it costs so much.

I'm sure it will also be easily foiled when the criminals figure out how to make silencers or just buy them, if they aren't already.

Other than that, I think its a decent idea. I'd like to know if the system has actually helped catch anyone in the cities where it has already been deployed though.

 

[Boris]

Don't worry about how effective it realy is, the real question is who got what to get this contract

 

[ooglassoo]

Ok this might work to catch a bunch of hillbillies in the back yard shooting there guns in the air. But how is this going to help the police with something like a drive by. It's not like a bad guy is going to shoot somebody and just hang around. I don't understand.

 

[Broc]

Ok this might work to catch a bunch of hillbillies in the back yard shooting there guns in the air. But how is this going to help the police with something like a drive by. It's not like a bad guy is going to shoot somebody and just hang around. I don't understand.

i am guessing it will only help them, becasue a lot of times no one calls the cops. They are afraid.

this way, they will know that a shooting took place.

That is my guess.

 

[Nitro]

Other than that, I think its a decent idea. I'd like to know if the system has actually helped catch anyone in the cities where it has already been deployed though.

Springfield and as far as I know, no. Think about it, with cell phones nowadays someones going to call it in 10 seconds after the system picks it up anyway. The cops show up and clean up the mess 10 seconds earlier. But it's only tax money, in a politicians mind theres an endless supply of that.

 

[Broc]

Springfield and as far as I know, no. Think about it, with cell phones nowadays someones going to call it in 10 seconds after the system picks it up anyway. The cops show up and clean up the mess 10 seconds earlier. But it's only tax money, in a politicians mind theres an endless supply of that.

how about all the people that dont call becasue they are afraid of gang retaliations?

 

[Nitro]

I also wonder how much longer it will take for the gangs to figure out they can set off a m80 somewhere then go kill someone a mile down the road safely while all the cops fly over to the fireworks. I know most are on the lower end of the IQ scale but one of them will figure it out sooner or later.

 

[Tater]

I can see the printout this 4th of july.... shots fired at the Esplanade... it says by the decibel reading there are .50 cal rifles, grenade launchers and small mortar fire... all units respond!

Stop letting Government spend Dollars untill they learn how to make "CENTS"

 

[cekim]

"I want to allay anybody's fears. This is not something they should be frightened about. These are highly trained, professional people doing this," said New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang.

Did he shoot himself in the foot the moment he finished that sentence like other government employees?

 

[Nitro]

how about all the people that dont call becasue they are afraid of gang retaliations?

You really think no one reports gun shots in cities? You can test that theory out by going to springfield and firing off a couple into the ground. Let me know how that works out for you.

 

[Hanwei]

It's not actually about fighting crime... it's about looking good while pretending to.

 

[Knob Creek]

Plus it's going to cost $150K per year to operate. It will help the police to process the crime scene earlier and locate the bodies faster.

 

[Garys]

Technically it works very well. It can differentiate between gun shots, fireworks, and even backfires. If the shooter is moving, it can tell speed and direction of travel whether the person is on foot or in a vehicle.

As to not reporting gun shots in the city, that happens all the time. I know of at least three shootings that were picked up by Shot Spotter for which there were no 9-1-1 calls. One of those was a multiple homicide with several shots fired and not one person called 9-1-1. Another was a single homicide in a housing project at about 0630 in the morning. Again, no one called 9-1-1 even though when the police arrived there were about 20 people standing around outside.

Of course people who have absolutely no experience with the system know a lot more about it than I do, so don't let any facts get in the way of your stupidity.

 

[inerlogic]

i call nineeleven all the time to report gunshots....
a few years back, around 11:30pm i heard 3 shots (sounded like 6 with echoes...) from what sounded like a .38... called the NBPD and they told me it was probably fireworks.... "listen, i know gunshots when i hear gun shots, believe me..."

a**h***s....

i used to live a mile as the crow flies from the foxy lady, when that a**h*** opened fire with the AR it woke me from a dead sleep....
by the time i called the po po were already there (i'd heard him shooting in the parking lot apparently...)
they asked how i'd heard it from that far away, asleep and how i knew what it was...

you spend time in a war zone, you get to know the sound of certain rifles... heh heh.....

i've seen the shot spotter mics on a few light poles, thought about making a google map with all the locations i know of.... see how they lay 'em out through the city.... there's at least one on allen street, and 2 or three on rockdale ave (between allen and cove st)

 

[Gonzo]

As to not reporting gun shots in the city, that happens all the time. I know of at least three shootings that were picked up by Shot Spotter for which there were no 9-1-1 calls. One of those was a multiple homicide with several shots fired and not one person called 9-1-1. Another was a single homicide in a housing project at about 0630 in the morning. Again, no one called 9-1-1 even though when the police arrived there were about 20 people standing around outside.

When I had my first apartment in Manchester I heard gunshots all the time in the city. I never called the cops either.

 

[SSShooter]

Technically it works very well. It can differentiate between gun shots, fireworks, and even backfires. If the shooter is moving, it can tell speed and direction of travel whether the person is on foot or in a vehicle.

As to not reporting gun shots in the city, that happens all the time. I know of at least three shootings that were picked up by Shot Spotter for which there were no 9-1-1 calls. One of those was a multiple homicide with several shots fired and not one person called 9-1-1. Another was a single homicide in a housing project at about 0630 in the morning. Again, no one called 9-1-1 even though when the police arrived there were about 20 people standing around outside.

Of course people who have absolutely no experience with the system know a lot more about it than I do, so don't let any facts get in the way of your stupidity.

Did the ShotSpotter help prevent the crimes or at least contribute to catching the BGs? Or as someone else already suggested, did it just let the police get to the crime scene a bit faster? I know time can be a factor following this type of crime, so I can see where there might be of some value, but it would be nice to hear about real world examples.

 

[TomH]

The problem is not the technology, but the persistent need for "authorities" to know more and more and more about everything that goes on. It starts with picking up gunshots, but can move on to more sinister or abusive reasoning. Do we really want to be a society that is always being recorded on video/audio everywhere we go? I'll assume these systems are being put in places you can't go outside to shoot if you wanted to normally.

Did people think decades ago that the authorities would be able to listen to conversations without a warrant, or probe you at the airport, or raid your house with SWAT on flimsy evidence? Well all these things are happening now and every bit that contributes to gives them more power and they will never yield it again.

 

[inerlogic]

Maybe it's just me but if some a**h*** 14 y.o. shoots me, it'd be nice to know the cops can pinpoint my location rather than someone a block away calling saying they heard shots "somewhere"

We've had 4 shootings within 2 blocks of my neighborhood in the last year (yet i can't get a freakin' ALP.....)

When the coffee shop shooting happened, they were there REAL quick..... NBPD, gang unit, SP.... Everyone showed up.... Paper said it was due to those microphones.... They've been testing for a while.... They're now expanding the system....

From my HTC EVO via Tapatalk

 

[z0mbi]

Are our cities that bad that we need to employ military equipment to track the locations of gunshots?

Maybe it would be better to just burn them down and start over.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Are our cities that bad that we need to employ military equipment to track the locations of gunshots?

Maybe it would be better to just burn them down and start over.

Maybe, no, no maybe's about it, we should arm more of our citizens and enable them to shoot back at the a**h***s who insist on shooting at innocent people. When only the criminals and cops have guns, its the people without guns who will suffer the most casualties.

Denying people's right to carry a gun via prosecution denies them the ability to fight back against the criminals that will do them harm. Criminals know this and become all the more brazen in their attacks on people. Gun control is like OSHA for criminals, they love it.

As for gangbagers killing eachother?......I say the more the better and the sooner society will be rid of their dumb asses.

 

[jamesvt]

So now if you want to kill someone just do it on the 4th of July. They will just thinks its fireworks.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

So now if you want to kill someone just do it on the 4th of July. They will just thinks its fireworks.

Or, stick a pillow in front of the muzzle.

 

[drgrant]

I also wonder how much longer it will take for the gangs to figure out they can set off a m80 somewhere then go kill someone a mile down the road safely while all the cops fly over to the fireworks. I know most are on the lower end of the IQ scale but one of them will figure it out sooner or later.

Fireworks and firearms don't have the same sound signature. It would be trivial for DSP to discern a gunshot from a car backfiring or fireworks.

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

how about all the people that dont call becasue they are afraid of gang retaliations?

Most of the time it's a lot simpler than that....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

 

[neEEGuru]

See, now this is a useful expenditure of time, money and resources in my opinion, and actually helps fight CRIME, you know with real victims and real dangerous criminals and all...

Not calling 911, and getting bad/slow/late info are certainly a real problem in large urban areas for many reasons including gang retaliation, police harassment, etc.

Even if they only get to the crime scene faster and secure evidence/witnesses quicker, I think it's worth it in larger metro areas that have gang activity (boston, springfield, etc.).

Shutdown stupid/useless/infringing programs (CCW permits, FA-10s, EOPS, etc.) and put that money towards more cops on the streets, shot spotter, community programs to give young kids something to do/strive for instead of joining gangs, etc. I'm all for that 100%. All the rest is just BS.

 

[Ma$$hole]

I'm thinking about getting a pool together at how long it will take before OGs start taking shots at these contraptions sitting on top of these telephone poles. They do it to street signs with mediocre accuracy all the time. It's an easy shot for any asshat that knows how to line up sights. They shoot out enough of those things and the city will stop pumping the money into the system. There are tons of pros and cons. I honestly think that money would go better towards putting more cops on the street. By on the street I mean on the beat and not a bunch of rookies soaking in overtime details and sleeping during their shifts. This system we live in works just as well as holding water in a strainer. Sad really.

 

[Queen Bee]

Or, stick a pillow in front of the muzzle.

did you know that if you youtube homemade silencers, you get complete video's on how to make one for your rifle out of 2 peices of pipe, and some towels and ductape.

or just tape a big coke bottle to the end of your rifle like mark walberg in Sniper, and that works as well from what ive seen on youtube videos.

 

[neEEGuru]

You overestimate the intelligence and forethought of the average gang banger.