ShotSpotter aims to reduce response time, add investigative tools, and improve police safety.
hollister city council proposed a meeting with the staff to consider a contract with shot spotterThe Fremont-based company claims its technology can help police detect where gunshots are coming from, reducing response time to gunfire. Alderman Laurent Resendis was absent.
City Councilors Tim Burns, Rick Perez and Mayor Mia Casey voted to move forward immediately to bring the gunshot detection project home for vote. Alderman Dolores Morales is wary of whether other companies offer similar products, and whether schools and businesses can share the cost if they agree to put the ShotSpotter equipment on their rooftops. I wanted the staff to rate me.
The company says the technology consists of sensors placed on buildings and on utility poles and software that detects where gunshots are coming from within a few feet. This feature not only allows law enforcement to respond quickly, but also aids in subsequent crime scene investigations. Rooftop technology will be linked to police stations, on-board computers, as well as tablets and smart watches. The software also works with Google Maps so you can see street views where police are approaching for your safety.
Months ago, Burns requested information about ShotSpotter and how it might be used to fight crime at Hollister, according to city documents. It is currently in use in 135 cities, according to company president Ron Teachman, a former police chief of New Bedford, Massachusetts and South Bend, Indiana.
The technology will cost $49,500 a year, Teachman told the council. He said the cost is based on coverage per square mile.
“We are cooperating [Hollister Police Chief Carlos Reynoso] It usually takes six to eight weeks for the technology to go into effect once the contract is signed, he added. He said officers will be trained before the system is put into use.
The proposed coverage area will be bordered by Buena Vista Road to the northwest, Miller Road to the west, South Street to the south, Chapel Road to the west and Roble Street to the northeast, according to Agenda Packet. The suggestion is to offer the service for at least one year and then decide whether to continue the service.
Police considered the technology five years ago, Reynoso said, but the cost of $300,000 was prohibitive. A recent change in ShotSpotter’s business model has lowered its prices significantly compared to the last few years, he said.
“With this new pricing model, the company has reduced costs and made it more viable for cities,” Reynoso told BenitoLink. “This proposal would cover geographical city miles, including the majority of gun crimes historically reported in the city.”
He said there were 26 shootings in Hollister between 1 January 2020 and 20 September 2022. There were also 20 shootings, he said, reported to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital without information about where the victims were shot. Statistics are correct, most shootings go unreported to the police.
“Police answered the phone 10 to 20 minutes after the shooting and the shooter has been missing for a long time,” Reinoso said. “If a police officer responds within a minute of him, they have a better chance of catching the perpetrator, administering first aid, and saving lives. It’s up to them to decide if that’s the direction they want to go to increase sexuality.”
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