Gunshot locators for Seattle

[SecularMotion]

West Seattle resident and block watch captain Dick Hurley has been keeping his eyes and ears on his Sunrise Heights neighborhood and beyond for decades now, and every chance he gets (including a recent town hall meeting), he asks Seattle’s leadership if they will consider funding gunshot locator technology.

It appears his request has a chance at fruition as Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn recently announced his intent to fund gunshot locator technology (he also hopes to fund 10 additional police officers, upgraded in-car video equipment and improved crime analysis capabilities) in the 2013-14 budget.

Called ShotSpotter, the automatic gunshot locator system is expected to cost $950,000 over two years for installation and operation, according to a press release from the Mayor’s office.

“The City will install up to 52 mobile gunshot locator units near (shooting) hot spots, with each having a minimum 600-foot radius range and each having the ability to stream video,” according to the Mayor’s office. “They can be moved in response to special events or changing crime patterns. These units can determine if a gunshot has occurred within 4/10th’s of a second, pinpoint the location to within a 50-foot radius and determine the caliber of weapon that was fired with a 90 percent accuracy rate.”

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2012/09/19/news/longtime-west-seattle-block-watch-captain%E2%80%99s-reque

[formercia]

1. I bet someone could have fun with that

There is no system that cannot be defeated or rendered useless by clever opponents.

[bongbong]

2. The gunnuts

Delicate Flowers (AKA Gun Nuts) will be shooting at these. They're afraid of everything, and this would be more "evidence" that the "evil gubmint" is tracking them. Paranoid Loons.

[Remmah2]

5. Seems an anti2A hoplophobic is more likely to shoot their mouth off than a gun nut shooting.

They usually miss the target too. Shooting squibs.

[bongbong]

7. Big words

Using that online thesaurus sure makes you sound edumacated, doesn't it?



I'll state it in easier-to-digest verbiage: Delicate Flowers are so scared, they need guns to venture anywhere outside their houses and/or Fortress Of Solitudes.

[Remmah2]

9. Delicate Flowers?

I associate that with virginal people.

[bongbong]

10. Virgins?

See this for an explanation of what Delicate Flowers are.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002981836

[MercutioATC]

18. Do you seriously view all pro-RKBA people that way?

I may disagree with some people on what is appropriate gun control, but most of the time they're intelligent people who simply have a different opinion.

...most of the time...

[bongbong]

21. Ad hominananana

> ..most of the time...

Should I alert on your post and the implied insult within?

Nahhh, I'm not a Delicate Flower.

[MercutioATC]

22. Seriously?

You refuse to answer the question and then speculate on alerting a post that would NEVER be hidden?

If you care to answer, I'm still interested.

[rl6214]

25. He/she's a child and can't help her/his self

[Eleanors38]

28. I thought I caught a whiff of urine. Nt

[4th law of robotics]

12. Could be

then again the gun-grabbers have a perfect track record of making false predictions (blood will run in the streets!).

So the safe money is on the opposite of what you describe happening.

But who knows, reality may decide to change it's long-held position and instead side with the antis.

[bongbong]

16. Predicts

> making false predictions (blood will run in the streets!)

Which one of the various massacres done this year by the Delicate Flowers are you talking about?

[aikoaiko]

30. Poor bongbong.

[Remmah2]

3. Can't wait until the local symphony plays the 1812 Overture. nt

nt

[holdencaufield]

4. Restrict the right ...

... to play Tchaikovsky.

[GreenStormCloud]

6. Sounds like a good idea.

If a CCWer had to shoot and was inside the zone for these then it would record the exact time, number of shots, and possibly even the different weapons used. That could really help, or hurt, someone's story. And it would definately be a help in catching criminals who use guns, and getting help to injured victims.

If this works well in places that have it, then it could quickly spread to all major cities.

[Clames]

8. More money wasted.

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/180112.pdf

[petronius]

11. This system has been discussed here a couple of times, as it's used in

various cities - this is the first mention I've seen of video to go along with the microphones, however.

I don't have any objection to the purely gunshot-oriented capability of the system, but I do have a (perhaps knee-jerk) negative reaction to the camera and microphone aspect. There's just something creepy and prone to abuse in this creeping advance of the surveillance state.

I'm also a little put-off by the cost: $950,000 for two years, and what then? Wasn't it Los Angeles that recently admitted that parts of their camera system (paid for by private sources, even) was sitting there unused?

[rl6214]

26. Yeah but it wasnt' discussed by circularmotion...

"This system has been discussed here a couple of times"

And it still hasn't been

[trouble.smith]

13. As a CCW holder and a daily carrier, I see nothing wrong with this

Criminals will be less inclined to shoot at law abiders but law abiding CCW holders will have nothing to fear as they are legally authorized to shoot in self defense.

[Atypical Liberal]

14. I have no problem with this technology, in fact I think it's great.

The system, as I understand it, is very intelligent and can distinguish between gunfire and other bang noises like car backfires, fireworks, etc.

This kind of system can be set up in high crime areas and can direct police and medical response to real gunshots being fired where they are not supposed to be within seconds.

I don't see why anyone would have a problem with these kinds of tools. They zero in on gunfire. Good or bad gunfire, the police ought to be involved, as fast as possible, because if someone is shooting, something bad is happening.

Note I'm not talking about shooting ranges or hunting preserves where these tools would obviously not be used.

I think this is a fantastic use of technology and the #1 target this will bear against are gangbangers with guns. I'm all for it.

[ileus]

15. 22 blank gun renders 950k useless.

The kids will have fun with this new technology.

I don't see a problem beyond the waste of tax payer money...do people not call 911 in Seattle?

[rDigital]

17. Or a .45 Auto and a pillow. That wouldn't register. Subsonic & Crazy quiet. nt

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. There are legislators that would want to declare starting pistols and then ban them

[ProgressiveProfessor]

20. I would like to see the business side of it

As others here have pointed out the there is nothing intrinsic for the gun owner to fear about this except the economics.
- Will the city own the system
- Will it be fully functional
- Is there sufficient out year budget allocation to maintain and use it at a minimum
- Warranty
- Maintenance
- Software upgrades

Its overall effectiveness remains somewhat questionable

[ManiacJoe]

24. Unfortunately, those are the type of questions

that the city does not like folks asking...

[tech3149]

27. This is new?

Back in the late 70's early 80's I had to go to Columbia, SC for training. The facility provided beer with dinner so we all would be prepped to go out and have some fun. The facility was notfar from the capitol building and not far from a military base.
Somebody from GA brought some fireworks for entertainment. Within three minutes of the first blast there were three police cars with offices guns drawn. They weren't there quite as fast when we went skinny dipping in the hotel pool with an underwater window into the bar.

[Jenoch]

29. This technology has been in place

in Minneapolis for several years. Basically, it allows the police to respond to specific locations where shots are heard. It increases the response time quite a bit. Theoretically, it is supposed to decrease the amount of 'gun violence' in the areas in which the shot spotters are located. I do not know how effective they have been for Minneapolis.