City and police officials have announced a 39.8 percent decrease in gunfire in the City of Plainfield, according to statistics from the SST National Gunfire Index, comparing 2013 and 2014 gunshot statistics from the same coverage area, in a year-over-year comparison. They credit the gun violence reduction to strategic policing initiatives including along with the use of ShotSpotter technology.
The SST National Gunfire Index, from the maker of ShotSpotter, compares gunfire incidents from 2014 with incidents in 2013, in cities that have consistently used ShotSpotter during both years.
In addition to a reduction in gunfire, Plainfield saw a 67% reduction in homicides and a 33% reduction in aggravated assaults with firearms in 2014, compared to 2013. The National Gunfire Index provides a summary of 2014 gunfire in 47 cities across the country, and also draws an “apples to apples” comparison of 28 cities which included Plainfield that had ShotSpotter coverage over both years.
“Our mission is clear. We want to reduce gun or any type of violence to have a safe and prosperous city. We are committed to using all available resources to ensure the safety of every citizen in the City of Plainfield, the Mayor said. “ShotSpotter, as a key part of our approach to gun crime prevention, enables dispatchers to locate a call for service and dispatch the nearest officer, decreasing response times, while supporting officer safety,” the Police director said.
Next up, Plainfield will be looking forward to integrating ShotSpotter with 30 high-definition cameras as the process has begun to install these cameras at various locations throughout the City.
ShotSpotter Flex helps police departments transform policing practices from reactive to proactive by instantly notifying officers of gunshot crimes in progress. When a gun is fired, alerts are delivered to dispatch centers, patrol cars and even smartphones in under 60 seconds. First responders in Plainfield receive fully contextualized alerts the number of weapons fired, number of shooters and precise location of gunfire allowing informed decisions with improved situation intelligence and increasing officer safety.
ShotSpotter gunfire data also enables law enforcement agencies to get on the scene faster to improve evidence collection, interview witnesses, aid prosecution and overall maximize police effectiveness.