Gunshot detectors debated in Metro Council

When a teenage girl was shot in the Park DuValle neighborhood earlier this month, Metro Councilwoman Jessica Green said she rushed to check on her own children.

"These are the streets that my kids play in every single day," Green, D-1st District, who lives in Park DuValle, told fellow members Tuesday afternoon while holding back tears.

For more than 90  minutes, the council's Public Safety Committee batted the merits of Shotspotter, a technology that says it can pinpoint gunshots within seconds. It's a strategy that Green, a Democrat, and council Republicans are pushing Mayor Greg Fischer and Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad to consider funding to help combat the city's violent crime surge.

"When trigger-pullers see the police respond in near zero time to gunfire we think that has deterrent value," Ron Teachman, the company's Midwest regional director, said in an interview.

Shotspotter uses microphones to triangulate gunshot-like sounds before notifying 9-1-1 dispatchers. The company uses its own trained technicians based in Newark, Calif., who Teachman said can decipher gunshots from similar sounds such as fireworks and locate gunfire within 30 feet of the incident before immediately sending the data to patrol officers.

Teachman, a former South Bend, Ind., police chief, told the Public Safety Committee that overall their clients have seen a 35 percent decline in gunshots and gunshot victims since 2014. He said response times depend largely on how much officers are patrolling an area and that it generally takes installing up to two dozen audio sensors to cover a 3 square mile area.

Green's office called for the special hearing and also invited with police officials from Kansas City, Mo., and Minneapolis, Minnesota, who attested to the technology’s benefits. Kansas City Police Sgt. Jacob Becchina, for instance, told council members that the gunshot locator tech has been a great asset for his officers, especially as a precaution when responding to those reports with little information.

"The ability to listen to the actual gunfire on your computer before they're going to it adds a level of safety, and knowledge for what they're getting into and what they are up against heading into these calls," he said.

Most council members said Shotspotter is an intriguing idea but some voiced skepticism about the technology’s effectiveness compared to its cost.

Councilman Bill Hollander said at least six cities, including Charlotte, N.C., have recently elected to end their contracts with Shotspotter. In February, Charlotte's city manager, for instance, said the technology had worked but that it wasn't worth the $160,000 a year investment versus public safety cameras.

"We should take a serious look at not only who is using this technology, but who has decided not to use it anymore," said Hollander, D-9th District.

Teachman said police cameras are generally installed in downtown areas to protect tourists and the business community while Shotspotter is often set up in residential neighborhoods impacted by violent crime on a regular basis.

If deployed in Louisville, Teachman said his company would work with police to develop a network based on shooting data. He said it would cost Louisville roughly $235,000 to cover a 3 square mile area in the first year due to installation and training, and about $195,000 in subsequent years.

In terms of funding, Shotspotte's brochures say it helps research federal grants, asset forfeiture funds and other revenue sources.

Hollander also pointed to reports that gunshot locator technology results in few arrests given that the shooters rarely remain on the scene, and even fewer prosecutions based on evidence collected from the audio recordings.

Green said she was unmoved by reports casting doubt on the technology, and that whatever cost should be considered in the context of other budget items being funded such as bike lanes and tree planting initiatives. She also said council members who live in neighborhoods where gunfire is rare may not understand the need but that she is hopeful colleagues will take these discussions seriously.

"If you can't even walk from your front door to your car without thinking about getting struck by a bullet that's a problem," Green said. "We've got to lead on this issue of public safety."

Reporter Phillip M. Bailey can be reached at (502) 582-4475 or pbailey@courier-journal.com