With time running out on the current contract, the Pasadena City Council agreed 7-1 to a new $661,500 three-year contract with SoundThinking, Inc., formerly ShotSpotter, Inc., to continue using the company’s gunshot detection system.
“I’m not willing to say to our police department we are not going to employ technology that has proven to be helpful to you and your jobs,” said Mayor Victor Gordo.
The gunshot triangulation technology allows police to respond quickly to gunfire. The system recorded 49 shootings in 2022, 56 in 2023 and 22 as of Dec. 13.
The City implemented the system in February 2022. The system uses sensors to detect gunfire and pinpoint its location with an accuracy of 82 feet.
Councilmember Rick Cole voted against the item due in part to the lack of data in the staff report, including comparative response times.
“I won’t be a rubber stamp on doing business as usual,” Cole said. “I want to see data. My ‘no’ vote is not a lack of confidence in the police chief, City Manager or staff. I want to see hard data before we spend our money.”
According to Police Chief Gene Harris the money for the contract comes from assets seized by the police. Those funds can only be spent on certain resources.
The City’s contract is set to expire on Feb. 8. In response to concerns about the data, Steve Madison made a successful motion to also send the matter to the Public Safety Committee.
The item was scheduled to go to the Public Safety Committee meeting earlier this month, but that meeting was canceled due to the Eaton wildfire.
The City’s police oversight commission voted to recommend the City Council approve a new contract.
The contract will cover the subscription fees, necessary equipment, and service costs for the gunshot detection system over the next three years. An amendment to the Police Department’s Fiscal Year 2025 operating budget will also be required, allocating $220,500 from the Asset Forfeiture Fund.
Nationwide, less than 20% of all gunshots are reported to 911 dispatchers. ShotSpotter technology eliminates the reliance on delayed and/or unreported calls and the immediate alerts enable officers to mobilize and safely respond to the incident quickly.
Locally, between July 1 and Sept. 30, Pasadena police responded to 18 ShotSpotter alerts, according to a report on the department’s website. In 11 of the cases, police did not receive any 911 informing local law enforcement officials of gunfire.
The gunfire data can also provide investigating officers with detailed information to improve evidence collection, prosecution and overall crime-fighting efforts.
However, in some cases, like when a revolver is used, there is less likely to be evidence or shell casings at a crime scene even if ShotSpotter zeroes in on the gunfire.
The original three-year contract cost the City $640,000.
The technology sends alerts to authorized personnel and the Pasadena Police Department’s dispatch center, enabling officers to respond within minutes to incidents of gun violence.
Each detected incident undergoes both artificial intelligence analysis and a secondary review by an acoustics expert to confirm the sound is gunfire.
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