After delays, ShotSpotter pilot begins in Durham. Here’s where.
A yearlong pilot of the gunshot detection service ShotSpotter kicks off in Durham on Thursday after several months of delays.
“We’re excited to see the city of Durham go live with ShotSpotter and experience the benefits of faster response times for gunshot incidents to save lives, collect more evidence and make their community safer,” a company spokesperson emailed Wednesday
Gun violence spiked to a record high in Durham in 2020, but has declined the past two years, according to the most recent data reported by police.
As of Dec. 10, the Durham Police Department had recorded 721 shooting incidents, with 233 people shot, 39 of them fatally.
“The Durham Police Department is dedicated to finding innovative technology in order to make the City of Durham a safe place,” a news release stated.
After years of debate, ShotSpotter passed the City Council by 5-2 vote in September, despite objections about excessive policing and questions over whether the technology works.
The rollout was first set for September, but was pushed back three times, at least in part because of difficulties getting sensors installed.
The Durham County Board of Education, citing surveillance concerns, voted unanimously that month not to take part in the pilot.
“We hit a bump in the road when the school board decided not to let us use schools, so we had to kind of pivot and find other locations,” Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton told The News & Observer last month.
How ShotSpotter works
When the devices are triggered, audio of the incident is sent to ShotSpotter’s “Incident Review Center,” where a person listens to confirm gunfire or explosions, then alerts Durham’s 911 dispatchers and police.
ShotSpotter’s sensors are confined to 3 square miles in East and Southeast Durham where the city says a third of all gunshot injuries and deaths occur.
The company told The N&O it typically deploys 15 to 25 sensors per square mile. In Durham, 60 to 75 were initially planned, though they did not say how many were ultimately installed.
The devices are light gray in color and fairly small, about 9 inches on either side and 4 inches thick, according to technical specifications obtained in a public records request.
They weigh just over 3 pounds and communicate on cell networks, but must be connected to electricity to do so.
When dispatchers are alerted, they get a dot on the map and the closest address, plus audio files and other data, according to the city’s contract.
The California company will be paid $197,500 for the first year, plus $28,000 for a program to integrate its technology with the 911 center.
This story was originally published December 14, 2022 at 2:06 PM with the headline "After delays, ShotSpotter pilot begins in Durham. Here’s where.."
