City of Boston Deploys ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System as Part of Crime Reduction Strategy
SANTA CLARA, Calif. & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
ShotSpotter, Inc., the world leader in gunshot location systems and technology for public safety and the military, announces that the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System (GLS) has been selected as a new crime-fighting tool in the City of Boston.
ShotSpotter is a collection of sensors that detect and locate gunshots in seconds, sending an immediate signal along with the precise location of the shots to police dispatchers. This gives the City's Police force the ability to arrive on the scene of a gunshot event faster. The system will be launched in areas that have been identified as experiencing firearm violence.
This past winter, Boston's Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Police Commissioner Ed Davis, along with members of the Boston City Council, witnessed a demonstration of the system at the Boston Police's firing range.
"ShotSpotter will be a helpful tool in our ceaseless efforts to reduce gun violence in Boston," Mayor Menino said. "We must continue to explore new initiatives and technologies that can assist us in our commitment to decrease gun violence and punish those responsible for violent behavior."
Police Commissioner Ed Davis concurs, "Any time we can use technology to enhance our efforts to fight crime, I think it's a tremendous benefit."
"We are very pleased to welcome Boston into the ranks of major US cities that have deployed the ShotSpotter GLS to help in fight violent crime," stated James G. Beldock, President and CEO of ShotSpotter. "This solution will prove invaluable to the City's initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in Boston."
ShotSpotter was approved by the Boston City Council and supported by Councilor Rob Consalvo who was instrumental in bringing the ShotSpotter system to Boston. Having learned of the value of the system in other cities, such as Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Charleston and Rochester, Councilor Consalvo held hearings and arranged for a demonstration in August 2006.
"We hope to have it installed and operational by late fall," said Consalvo. "We are pleased to enlist this latest technology as an additional means to increase public safety and protect quality of life for city residents."
ShotSpotter provides wireless and wired gunshot detection and location systems to public safety organizations and the military. All ShotSpotter solutions use the same core ShotSpotter GLS technologies, which filter out the echoes that cripple competitive systems when they are deployed in urban environments. Utilizing ShotSpotter's patented technologies, the system can be set to filter in or out "non-threat" events (such as fire crackers, car backfires, etc.).
About ShotSpotter, Inc., (www.shotspotter.com)
ShotSpotter, Inc., the leading developer of gunshot location systems and technology, is based in Santa Clara, CA. ShotSpotter's flagship product, which detects gunfire across large urban areas using a small number of inexpensive and easy-to-deploy sensors, currently protects the citizens of cities nationwide, from Los Angeles, CA to Washington, DC. Its products recently assisted the FBI and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in identifying and capturing the Columbus, OH highway sniper suspect. In 2000, ShotSpotter was honored for its technology vision and leadership when got won the Computerworld Smithsonian Laureate Award, having been nominated by William H. Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft Corporation, and the Smithsonian added its technology to the museum's permanent collection. With technology covered by numerous patents, the company also offers products to the law enforcement, homeland security and military markets. ShotSpotter technology has consistently produced arrests and weapons confiscations nationwide and has helped reduce gunfire and crime rates in cities that deploy it.
Source: ShotSpotter, Inc.
Released June 12, 2007