Baltimore OKs $760K Contract Extension For ShotSpotter Program

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BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ) — Baltimore has extended its declaration with ShotSpotter for different year.

The city’s committee of estimates connected Wednesday approved $759,500 to wage for ShotSpotter, which uses a web of specialized microphones stationed passim the metropolis to observe and alert constabulary to gunfire.

Police accidental the system, which tin notify them of gunshots earlier idiosyncratic calls 911, helps them respond to shootings and different gunfire incidents faster.

“(ShotSpotter) uses a bid of audio sensors to alert our officers of gunfire,” Baltimore Police Department Chief of Staff Eric Melancon said Wednesday.

When gunshots are fired, officers person an alert that includes the determination of the incident, the fig of gunshots and a imaginable fig of shooters.

Since adopting ShotSpotter successful May 2018, the Baltimore Police Department has received implicit 8,500 alerts from the system, 804 of which progressive a shooting unfortunate being found.

Officers accidental they beryllium connected the system, which has been shown to notify constabulary astir shootings adjacent erstwhile nary 1 calls 911. Lt. Col. John Herzog said that’s been the lawsuit successful 88% of gunfire incidents.

“This means that cipher was calling 911 that shots were being fired, and if it wasn’t for ShotSpotter, we would person ne'er known astir these peculiar incidents,” Herzog said.

Some influential voices, including Mayor Brandon Scott, aren’t sold connected the benefits of ShotSpotter, who called himself the program’s “biggest skeptic.”

Scott said the metropolis is doing probe to research conscionable however effectual ShotSpotter is, noting that helium besides wants to spot much buy-in from the community.

“Not conscionable the shots fired incidents but astir those peculiar neighborhoods that it’s happening and however we tin each enactment unneurotic to deliberation astir the totality,” Scott said.” Not conscionable the weapon unit but everything that comes on with it.”

Community members who spoke with WJZ astir ShotSpotter shared the mayor’s concerns.

“I deliberation the champion mode to bash it is to forestall the 911 calls from happening, period,” metropolis nonmigratory Alijah Johnson said.

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The backing approved Wednesday volition support the ShotSpotter programme successful spot until adjacent July.

Jessica Albert

Jessica Albert is an experienced broadcast writer and James Madison University postgraduate with a passionateness for covering section news. She comes to WJZ...More from Jessica Albert

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