As most of you know, we have seen in a dramatic rise in the number of calls of shots fired in the last few years. We have gone from 417 in 2011 to over 520 already in 2014. In 2011, we averaged 35 shots fired calls per month. This year, we are averaging 65 shots fired calls per month. We have requested the funding for Shot Spotter in our 2015 budget. Shot Spotter will notify us of gun fire incidents in real time. It will let officers know the origin of the gun fire within 3 feet of the incident. While this program will not identify the actual shooter, it will get us to the exact spot a lot quicker than we do now. There are many incidents where we never find the exact location becasue of a lack of witnesses or conflicting witness accounts. The biggest immediate impact of Shot Spotter would be our ability to locate shooting victims right away and get them medical attention. This program will also help in criminal cases. Cities who have used Shot Spotter as part of their overall response to gun fire incidents have seen as much as an 80% DECREASE in gun fire and as much as a 40% DECREASE in violent crime. Those types of changes lead to an INCREASE in Quality of Life for all residents. The public has a chance to voice their opinion on budget issues. Please contact your City Council rep and ask them to support our efforts to end this violent trend.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 17:50:19 +0000
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