(Fayetteville, N.C.) – The City of Fayetteville has initiated the deployment of SoundThinking, a gunshot detection technology formerly known as ShotSpotter, in three areas of the city to help combat gun violence and enhance law enforcements response to gunshots on Sept. 28.
The first days that the system is active will serve as the system’s initial data collection period. Data collected will be displayed on the Fayetteville Police Department’s website and routinely updated to provide transparency for all City residents.
SoundThinking technology is being implemented along a portion of the Murchison Road corridor, in the Massey Hill area and a section of west Fayetteville, near Cliffdale and South Reilly Roads.
“This is another tool our Fayetteville Police Department will have to help solve crimes ultimately keeping our residents safe,” said Mayor Mitch Colvin. “Police will be able to respond to shootings faster with more accuracy. As a council, we’re taking actions to address gun violence we are witnessing in our community.”
The City is committed to reducing illegal gun use and has partnered with SoundThinking as part of its comprehensive violent crime and gun violence reduction strategy.
“This is an opportunity to use technology to help address and a top priority for City Council, the City and our residents,” said City Manager Douglas J. Hewett. “We consistently seek ways to support City Council’s strategic goal to make Fayetteville a safe and secure city for our residents, and while this is only one action, it’s not the last action we will take to reduce gun violence in our City.”
SoundThinking uses a network of acoustic sensors to detect, locate, and alert police of gunshot incidents. Alerts are sent within 60 seconds of a fired shot, notifying the department precisely when and where gun incidents occur, providing a quicker, more effective and efficient response to help save lives of gunshot victims and find critical evidence.
About SoundThinking’s ShotSpotter
Studies show that more than 80% of gunfire incidents go unreported to 911 and ShotSpotter’s gunshot detection solution helps law enforcement identify and locate incidents of outdoor gun violence that would have never been reported to police. This creates a situation where police departments have a large data gap that makes it difficult to be able to effectively “serve and protect” when it comes to gun violence. The system is in operation in more than 150 cities and is used by police to be able to respond to a higher percentage of gunfire incidents, improve response times to crime scenes to better aid victims and find witnesses and help police locate key evidence to identify and investigate suspects.
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