The New Bern Police Department presented information on SoundThinking’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection technology. If approved, it would be deployed in New Bern’s Duffyfield and Craven Terrace area.
During the New Bern Board of Aldermen’s October 24 meeting, Police Chief Patrick Gallagher presented information on ShotSpotter, a technology designed to give police officers the ability to respond quicker when gunfire is detected. Gallagher said the technology aids in the apprehension of suspects and deters gun violence by providing information about where a firearm was discharged, and the caliber of the weapon involved.
According to Gallagher, within a one square mile radius ShotSpotter can identify the sound of gunshots using sensors that are placed by the company’s engineers. A computer then triangulates the location of the shot and an acoustic expert validates that the sound has come from a firearm “as opposed to the backfiring of a car or fireworks.”
“ShotSpotter has guaranteed that they can validate the shot within 60 seconds,” Gallagher said. “In my conversations they said the majority is less than 30 seconds, they validate and have that information sent directly to the PD.”
According to the company’s website, ShotSpotter uses ordinary microphones that are similar to ones found in cellphones and are placed high above the street. SpotShotter says its sensors only pick up the sound of gunfire and are not positioned, tuned or specialized to pick up human voices.
“That situational awareness is critical for officer safety. Within minutes we know we can have a police officer on scene,” Gallagher said.
SpotShotter’s company name was changed to SoundThinking. The name of the technology remains SpotShotter.
Gallagher said he recently visited the Greenville Police Department and observed their ShotSpotter program.
“We were very impressed with what that has provided for their community in terms of their response,” he told the board.
Where would ShotSpotter be used
During his presentation, Gallagher said data complied over a 21-month period from 2022-23 showed the greatest number of incidents involving gun violence in New Bern occurred within a one square mile area around Duffyfield, Craven Terrace and areas just to the south. The area represents roughly 13% of the city’s population with 4,010 residents.
Gallagher said over that time period his department recovered 21 firearms involved in criminal activity. He said officers recovered 329 shell casings while responding to 38 calls. In one incident there were 51 shots fired, for a total of 8.6 shots per incident.
During the time frame covered in the data, eight individuals sustained injuries involving gunfire and the department responded to three cases involving homicide by firearm, Gallagher said.
“Nowhere in the city is there more police presence than in this one square mile,” Gallagher commented, “and I would offer to anybody to tell me that is not the appropriate way to deploy your resources, because you need to make sure we have a presence in the areas where we have the most violence.”
Gallagher pointed to an incident that occurred on the night of October 22, when an officer heard gunfire near Raleigh Avenue. Gallagher said the officer apprehended a 14-year-old subject who was in possession of an AR-15 rifle. Nobody was hurt.
Gallagher said ShotSpotter would improve the collection of evidence and allow for the recovery of more shell casings, with the precise location of where the shots were fired. The ballistics information can then be uploaded and used to locate where else that firearm may have been used in committing a crime.
“Ballistic evidence is much like a fingerprint or DNA. Each individual firearm will have unique characteristics of its own,” he noted.
Alderman Rick Prill asked if ShotSpotter would detect the sound of a gun being fired indoors. The chief responded, “It probably would not.”
Gallagher said it would take approximately eight weeks to install ShotSpotter once a contract was signed. The initial cost for the technology would be $66,300 for the first year and $49,500 for each subsequent year. New Bern PD has unsuccessfully applied for grant funding in the past and is seeking support from community stakeholders to help with the cost, he explained.
Will the community have a voice in the decision?
Gallagher said the New Bern PD has communicated its intent to implement the ShotSpotter technology with the Greater Duffyfield Residents Council to educate the community about the program and seek their support.
Though the board agreed that ShotSpotter would increase safety in the area where it was deployed, Aldermen Hazel Royal and Barbara Best both said they would like to see more community involvement before the final decision was made.
When Alderman Bobby Aster said he couldn’t understand why anyone would be against the system, Best replied, “If you don’t live in an area where there’s heavy crime, if you don’t live in an impoverished area, if you don’t live in an underserved area then I can see why you can make such a statement. But coming from people who live in those areas, I think that they may beg to differ with you.”
The board agreed to table the matter and place it on their December 12 agenda to allow time for more time for resident input. A public hearing was not scheduled.
By Todd Wetherington, co-editor. Send an email with questions or comments.