Shotspotter technology used to find smoking guns

GUNFIRE incidents have been drastically reduced in Hanover Park and Manenberg, thanks to the first deployment of Shotspotter technology in the areas.

The technology provides real time gunshot detection that includes the exact location of the gunshot, allowing law enforcement to respond immediately.

In June, 86 gunshot incidents were reported in Hanover Park while 133 were reported in Manenberg. In July there were 78 incidents reported in Hanover Park and 134 in Manenberg.

The numbers saw a sharp decline this month after the technology was installed, with 33 incidents being reported in Hanover Park and 22 in Manenberg.

The technology also allows the city to tell how many shooters were involved, how many rounds were fired, as well as the type of firearm that was used.

Once a shot is fired, the system uses acoustic triangulation to analyse the weapon’s sound wave and by making a deduction based on the speed of sound in conjunction with GPS, it can locate the source of the shot. This is recorded and relayed with location information to the dispatch centre. The dispatcher’s computer will show a red dot on a high-resolution map.

Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said: “The data provided by gunshot detection technology enables intelligent analysis and deployment. With that, law enforcement can move from the reactive to the proactive as the system provides critical information for better, timelier resource allocation.

“Although we would need to analyse shooting patterns over a longer period to accurately quantify the impact, the initial success of the technology has been stunning.”

He added the technology would cost the city around R5million per year to install in a suburb.

“Not only does the technology empower the police force, but also seems to give the community renewed impetus in the fight against gangsterism. During the pilot project, we saw an increasing willingness from the community to come forward with tip-offs.”

Smith said criminal elements in the monitored areas were now using firecrackers to confuse the system and assess police response times before using their firearms. But he added the system was able to tell the difference between a gunshot and other noises.

Hanover Park Ward councillor Tony van der Rheede said he has noted the change brought on by the Shotspotter and said it should be implemented in other communities as well.

He said gangsters were “now feeling threatened because of this.”