ShotSpotter?

[Anonymous]

Anyone know if up to date ShotSpotter data is available to the public? We have reported shots fired overnight in our neighborhood multiple times this month, and MPD has assured us that ShotSpotter would’ve notified them of anything relevant in the area, suggesting we look at the data to confirm. I can only find quarterly reports from 2020 on the website - and those tell us zero about what’s happening in mid 2021. TIA.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Why do feel you need to know this? You already know there were shots fired because you heard them yourself, so it’s puzzling to me why you’d need this data. If police shared this with the public, it might lead to criminals changing their tactics if they knew about the shot-spotter. Maybe they would start using silencers. Or switch from guns to other things, bows and arrows, maybe knife or machete attacks. I can think of some very good reasons why police should keep the effectiveness of shot spotter quiet. No pun intended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do feel you need to know this? You already know there were shots fired because you heard them yourself, so it’s puzzling to me why you’d need this data. If police shared this with the public, it might lead to criminals changing their tactics if they knew about the shot-spotter. Maybe they would start using silencers. Or switch from guns to other things, bows and arrows, maybe knife or machete attacks. I can think of some very good reasons why police should keep the effectiveness of shot spotter quiet. No pun intended.

I'm trying to picture a rise in archery-related crimes. "Police are asking witnesses to come forward after today's brazen daytime arrow-ing in which two people were injured. The suspects fled on a brown horse with a black mane. Arrowheads and discarded quivers were found in a burning dumpster several blocks away."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do feel you need to know this? You already know there were shots fired because you heard them yourself, so it’s puzzling to me why you’d need this data. If police shared this with the public, it might lead to criminals changing their tactics if they knew about the shot-spotter. Maybe they would start using silencers. Or switch from guns to other things, bows and arrows, maybe knife or machete attacks. I can think of some very good reasons why police should keep the effectiveness of shot spotter quiet. No pun intended.

No, we don’t “know there were shots fired.” We know that there were loud noises that sounded like shots being fired but could have been some kid setting off fireworks at random times (not unheard of, especially in July in DC) or heck, maybe there was even some kind of pm construction going on that involved blasting. The point is, my 3 children often ask for campouts and movie nights outside with neighbors, which were ok not that long ago on our fenced lot. A friggin stray machete is not going to end their lives as they sleep in their own backyard, pp. A stray bullet could.

I grew up in a family full of law enforcement and first responders and have lived all over the place as an adult. I’m pretty street smart and I’ve never felt unsafe in my own home, even when people were looting 3 blocks away in Tenleytown. So when I (and other neighbors) report this to the police and are told to check ShotSpotter, one would expect the information found there to be at least somewhat pertinent.

Also, I pay taxes in DC. I can request whatever I please. You do you.

[Anonymous]

A couple of things.

Shot spotter is used in a few areas of the downtown core. It is not actually built out throughout the city.

MPD does make the data available to the public, however, quarterly. https://mpdc.dc.gov/publication/shotspotter-data-disclaimer-and-dictionary

Finally, shotspotter queuing still uses a man in the middle approval before a unit is dispatched to a triangulated spot removing a great deal of the speed inherent to the system. The belief is that this prevents multiple units from converging onto an area that has not been analyzed yet, potentially limiting collateral damage. This results in shotspotter being used primarily as evidence in prosecution rather than police being able to prevent a suspect from fleeing a shooting.

Finally, because of limitations in DC's license plate readers, there is no effective way to have the shotspotter trigger the LPR's to flag potential fleeing suspects and relay that data to patrol car's. You would think as this is 90's tech it would be doable, but DC's various crime prevention tools exist in stovepipes and really do not share information or capabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A couple of things.

Shot spotter is used in a few areas of the downtown core. It is not actually built out throughout the city.

MPD does make the data available to the public, however, quarterly. https://mpdc.dc.gov/publication/shotspotter-data-disclaimer-and-dictionary

Finally, shotspotter queuing still uses a man in the middle approval before a unit is dispatched to a triangulated spot removing a great deal of the speed inherent to the system. The belief is that this prevents multiple units from converging onto an area that has not been analyzed yet, potentially limiting collateral damage. This results in shotspotter being used primarily as evidence in prosecution rather than police being able to prevent a suspect from fleeing a shooting.

Finally, because of limitations in DC's license plate readers, there is no effective way to have the shotspotter trigger the LPR's to flag potential fleeing suspects and relay that data to patrol car's. You would think as this is 90's tech it would be doable, but DC's various crime prevention tools exist in stovepipes and really do not share information or capabilities.

That really needs to be fixed. Tech could solve a lot of DC's crime issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do feel you need to know this? You already know there were shots fired because you heard them yourself, so it’s puzzling to me why you’d need this data. If police shared this with the public, it might lead to criminals changing their tactics if they knew about the shot-spotter. Maybe they would start using silencers. Or switch from guns to other things, bows and arrows, maybe knife or machete attacks. I can think of some very good reasons why police should keep the effectiveness of shot spotter quiet. No pun intended.

I'm trying to picture a rise in archery-related crimes. "Police are asking witnesses to come forward after today's brazen daytime arrow-ing in which two people were injured. The suspects fled on a brown horse with a black mane. Arrowheads and discarded quivers were found in a burning dumpster several blocks away."

Haha. This made me smile.

[Anonymous]

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qj8xbq/police-are-telling-shotspotter-to-alter-evidence-from-gunshot-detecting-ai