Tacoma Police Hosts ShotSpotter Technology Community Meeting
Tacoma police say ShotSpotter will allow police to identify active shooter incidents through real-time alerts and contribute to the city's crime reduction initiatives.
TACOMA, Wash. – The Tacoma Police Department (TPD) hosted the first of two community meetings on Wednesday to discuss a controversial technology it plans to implement this fall.
The technology is called “ShotSpotter,” an acoustic gunshot detection technology from SoundThinking, which TPD says will help police identify gunfire incidents by alerting them to the exact location of gunfire in real time.
TPD said it's a useful tool in the city's crime reduction plan.
“There is no one-size-fits-all technology,” Deputy Police Chief Chris Kahl said, “ShotSpotter is a technology that helps us get to the scene of an active shooter quickly and safely and save lives.”
The department said the ShotSpotter technology will cover two square miles of Tacoma later this fall, with the initial deployment taking place in the Hosmer area, as part of a two-year pilot program.
At Wednesday's meeting, members of the public were given the opportunity to ask questions about the new technology.
One woman asked how the sensor works and whether it moves whether it's successful or not.
A spokesman for the company that runs ShottSpotter said the program's success will be measured through data that will be made publicly available through the police department's website.
“We value data, facts and transparency,” said Alfred Lewers Jr., Sound Thinking's senior director of trauma response and community engagement.
Some in the crowd wanted to know who would pay for the program.
According to TPD, taxpayers are not footing the bill.
“Thanks to a grant from the Office of Justice Administration, the Tacoma Police Department is piloting ShotSpotter and other technologies to address gun violence in our city. Smart Policing Initiative funds will be used to implement and evaluate ShotSpotter, providing the ability to instantly identify gunshots and their exact location, allowing for faster response times and improved investigations,” a TPD spokesperson said.
“You can't put a price on saving a life,” John Brown said.
Brown lives in the Hosmer Street neighborhood where the technology will be installed.
“I fully support this technology and think it will help save lives,” he said.
The next ShotSpotter community meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. at the Sector 4 substation, 400 East 56th St. in Tacoma.
More news from FOX Seattle
Suspect arrested in Seattle carjacking that killed 80-year-old woman
Pierce County Sheriff Addresses Pursuit Concerns After Serious Crash
'Bait and switch': Controversy over turning old Western Australian church into affordable housing
Neighbors complain about ex-NFL player's Tacoma 'party house'
Rain delays closure of Highway 167, Seattle drivers plagued by weekend traffic jams
Sign up for FOX Seattle's daily newsletter for free access to the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle.
