The mayor of the big city that borders parts of Elmwood Park called for an end to the special gunfire detection technology. But the leader of the small, low-crime west suburb announced it will go live with ShotSpotter – as it is called – in the coming weeks.
According to a village news release announcing the roll out, Elmwood Park is believed to be one of the first Chicago suburbs to implement the technology, which is deemed a crime fighting tool.
“We’re always looking to improve our public safety toolbox,” Elmwood Park police Chief Andrew Hock stated in the release. “While gunfire is not commonplace in Elmwood Park, we’re constantly looking to reduce crime or the potential for crime any way we can.”
The village had signaled earlier this year that it was interested in acquiring the technology, even after the Chicago mayor called for the big city’s contract with the tech company to end. Elmwood Park leaders said the village has for years shared ShotSpotter information with a nearby Chicago police district.
“ShotSpotter helps police rapidly respond to gunfire even when no one calls 911. The automatic reporting is important when a victim may need assistance or evidence needs to be collected. ShotSpotter says on their website that only about 12 percent of gunfire is reported to police; that number jumps to 90 percent of gunfire being reported when communities use their technology. Shell casings are also more likely to be recovered from shooting scenes and crime scene location dramatically improves with ShotSpotter,” according to the Elmwood Park release.
Elmwood Park borders Chicago along Harlem Avenue and Belmont Avenue, the release explains. Hock said that Elmwood Park will also share its information with neighboring municipalities.
“Elmwood Park is a very safe and welcoming place to live,” Village President Angelo “Skip” Saviano stated in the release. “And one of the reasons is because we have a proactive police department that uses all of the resources available to them to best deter and respond to crime.”
According to the release, ShotSpotter uses a complex array of acoustic sensors which use triangulation to not only detect gunfire but locate where it came from. “Algorithms are very effective at ruling out false activations of the system from fireworks or other loud noises,” the release explains.
“Keeping Elmwood Park safe is my top priority,” said Saviano. “We support our police and help them do their job by providing the latest and most effective tools.”
Hock said ShotSpotter is a tool that can help save lives.
The system is expected to go live in the coming weeks, after police officers complete training, according to the release.