Securing Officer Buy-in When a Beneficial Technology Increases Workload: Best Practices for Implementing Gunshot Detection Technology

• NCJ Number: 309591
• Author(s): Paige S. Thompson; Daniel S. Lawrence; Nancy G. La Vigne
• Date Published: January 2020
• Grant Number(s): 2015-R2-CX-K147
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Evaluating Gunshot Detection Technology (GDT) to Aid in the Reduction of Firearms Violence

Annotation

This article presents best practices for implementing gunshot technology and securing officer buy-in.

Abstract

This article explores offers insight into the implementation of gun detection technology (GDT) in three cities through findings from stakeholder interviews, firearm-related case files, and an analysis of differences in response times between pre- and post-GDT implementation periods. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded the Urban Institute to investigate the degree to which GDT aids in the response, investigation, and prevention of firearms violence and related crimes. The findings reveal best practices for securing officer buy-in and ensuring that policies surrounding GDT use are followed. In recent years, gunshot detection technology (GDT) has been rapidly deployed by law enforcement agencies across the country, with the promise of providing a new tool to aid in the response to, measurement of, and investigations of firearm shootings. GDT uses a network of outdoor acoustic sensors installed on high surfaces, such as buildings and light poles, in typically high crime areas. When sensors detect gunfire, the technology transmits a signal to a processing system that discriminates gunfire from other similar noises, such as fireworks or thunder, and then computes the spatial coordinates of the alert.