Image courtesy ShotSpotter
Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham says that a new gunshot-locating system will help his officers respond to violent crime. Called ShotSpotter, it uses microphones and sensors to pinpoint shots and alert police.
When police receive a call about gunshots without an exact location, the response time can be three to six minutes, Durham says.
“With the ShotSpotter technology, within 45 seconds, those folks will get that information,” he says. “ShotSpotter will tell you how many gunshots there were, the exact time of the shots [and] the grid coordinates.” If a camera is connected, it will automatically zoom to the shooting site.
The initial focus will be 3 square miles, including the Mosby Court public housing community, he says. Through late September, the Mosby neighborhood was the site of eight homicides this year; victims include two teenagers and a Virginia State Police officer.
City Council approved funds for the system, which is expected to cost $235,000 for the first year, Durham says. As of late September, he says the request for proposals to install the system was in legal review and likely would not go out for bid for at least another 30 days. He hopes to have the system up and running by the end of the year.
“One of the most challenging things for our police department is the gun violence in our city,” he says. “ShotSpotter will be another tool in our toolbox to safeguard the city.”
