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shot spotter gunshot detector equipment

solus

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here nc
My local town just posted on the local news a blurb regarding the great technological advancement in policing called shot spotter, e.g., microphones spread around the city (article did not state if the microphones were placed only in ethnically impoverished sections of our community) to facilitate the 'immediate' location of gunshots so the nice LEs can be 'immediately' dispatched.

well curiosity got the better of me...

http://www.shotspotter.com/ states:

ELECTED OFFICIALS -We help elected officials address gun violence to ensure a safe environment and healthy economic growth in their cities.

LAW ENFORCEMENT -We give police officers the tools and information to respond to and investigate gunshot incidents with clarity and confidence.

CAMPUS SECURITY - We empower institutions such as schools and businesses to respond instantaneously to active shooter situations.

there is no indication from the article or the cited website what this technological advancement cost nor if there are even policies in place to preclude abuse, e.g., 'inappropriate' listening activities, etc.

the goldsboro article stated the listening devices are currently in use in 22 states and two other cities in NC.

anybody know anything about this new Orwellian advancement quietly sweeping our country and local communities?
 
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solus

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Charleston, SC, has had it for years. It is reactive and has had no impact on crime. There are suspicions that it is used to eavesdrop street conversations.

thanks for the input...found this from jan 17:

http://abcnews4.com/news/local/nort...il-turns-to-technology-in-gun-violence-battle

Jamison says North Charleston used Shot Spotter a few years ago, but ended it because police told her it was not effective. The District 3 councilwoman thinks upgrades to the system will improve police efforts to track and stop gun violence.

"I think it's a kind of camera technology. And again they're monitoring the different areas just for overall appearances," she said.

(this councilperson sounds like a complete moron...)

"Hearing gunfire scares the heck out of us. And when you don't know that it could be right near you or something, that's scarier. And for them to have technology would be great to forewarn that something could be prevented," said Elizabeth Thomas, who lives in North Charleston.

(like the nice police will share their information with citizens to forewarn...something 'could be prevented', especially since it is an after the fact technology!!)
 
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Beretta92fsQueer

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We have them here in Seattle. Seattle has also set up cameras that were purchased, or donated through a grant by the FEDs. The city says they are using the cameras for observing traffic.

My question to them was who do the cameras belong to. They said the cameras were given to them by the FEDs--still didn't answer the question. I asked if the FEDs have access to the cameras, and they said they see no reason why the FEDs would have access to them. So with both questions I got ZERO definitive answers.
 
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solus

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We have them here in Seattle. Seattle has also set up cameras that were purchased, or donated through a grant by the FEDs. The city says they are using the cameras for observing traffic.

My question to them was who do the cameras belong to. They said the cameras were given to them by the FEDs--still didn't answer the question. I asked if the FEDs have access to the cameras, and they said they see no reason why the FEDs would have access to them. So with both questions I got ZERO definitive answers.

Alas you do not have this type of equipment in Seattle.

2014 from promo from shot spotter: “ The Seattle City Council has approved $250,000 within the Seattle Police Department budget for a study on acoustic gunshot locators -- devices that can pick up on the direction and origin of gunshots fired. Councilmember Bruce Harrell told KIRO 7 ”. http://www.shotspotter.com/news/article/seattle-considers-acoustic-gunshot-locator


2016 King-5: SEATTLE -- In an effort to stem the gun violence in Seattle, Mayor Ed Murray unveiled a pilot program to track gunfire in our neighborhoods.
The program involves a "gunshot locator system" already in use in other cities and will be funded through a grant and a partnership with the ATF.
According to city hall and police department sources, city leaders are looking at deploying an acoustic gunshot locator system in two neighborhoods. One will be Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson Street near Rainier Beach High School. The other will be in the Central District near 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street. http://www.king5.com/news/local/may...unveil-gunshot-detection-technology/228439762


2017 Capital Hill Times: A pilot program that would have seen the installation of gunshot-detecting microphones in the Central District and Rainier Beach is on hold after the transition of the Trump Administration into federal office.
Back in June, on National Gun Violence Day, Mayor Ed Murray, Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole and four city council members vowed to bring forward legislation that would allow for the installation of microphones in the Central District in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives.
The system, operated by Bay Area company ShotSpotter, uses 15-20 microphones per square mile to triangulate the location of gunshot-like noises and alert local police.
The program was set to be funded by a federal grant and $250,000 of money already set aside by the city council. But legislation never materialized. http://www.capitolhilltimes.com/Con...ertainty-delays-ShotSpotter-pilot/-3/552/4804

further, my understanding, when the nice US Government xfers equipment, e.g., surplus military equipment, surveillance drones, cams, recording equipment, etc., via "grant(s)" there is a contractual language in place which allows the US Government to reclaim possession of, or have unlimited access to said data streams.


as stated, w/no first hand review of said contractual documents, 'tis my understanding.
 
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Beretta92fsQueer

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I suspected the FEDs would still have access to the equipment, no wonder they were dodging it. They literally seemed taken aback that someone would ask the question. Then others in the room started asking similar questions, like it didn't dawn on people the FEDs would tap into the cameras.

I totally thought it was already up. Thanks for the information. I was going to the meetings when they were in early stages talking about it.

Talk about a sneaky way to get their equipment in local jurisdictions, then at any time they could seize it, and utilize it right then and there.
 
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color of law

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thanks for the input...found this from jan 17:

http://abcnews4.com/news/local/nort...il-turns-to-technology-in-gun-violence-battle

"Hearing gunfire scares the heck out of us. And when you don't know that it could be right near you or something, that's scarier. And for them to have technology would be great to forewarn that something could be prevented," said Elizabeth Thomas, who lives in North Charleston.....
I didn't know that a new microphone has been invented that will hear a sound many minutes before it happens. So many minutes that the police can arrive on scene before the shot is fired, amazing.
 

Grapeshot

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I didn't know that a new microphone has been invented that will hear a sound many minutes before it happens. So many minutes that the police can arrive on scene before the shot is fired, amazing.

They bring yellow tape, cameras, and pencils and paper.

You want protection? Provide your own.
 

solus

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I didn't know that a new microphone has been invented that will hear a sound many minutes before it happens. So many minutes that the police can arrive on scene before the shot is fired, amazing.

minority report, starring Tom Cruise comes immediately to mind,
 

Dreamer

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Grennsboro NC
Acoustic gunshot detectors are OLD technology. When I was a DOJ contractor in the 1990s, we published a few white papers on them under NIJ, NCJRS, and NLECTC. This tech is over 20 years old.

The reason it's not been implemented in EVERY crime-ridden shithole city is because the acoustics in cities are horrible--buildings tend to reflect and echo sounds, and make it nearly impossible to triangulate sounds like gunshots accurately, except in neighborhoods that have mostly small buildings and large abandoned lots like the slums.

And NOBODY--on the State or Federal level is going to spend money on a system that doesn't work in the wealthy parts of town, and ONLY works in the ghettos, because they WANT the violence to stay high in the slums...
 

solus

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Aug 22, 2013
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Location
here nc
Acoustic gunshot detectors are OLD technology. When I was a DOJ contractor in the 1990s, we published a few white papers on them under NIJ, NCJRS, and NLECTC. This tech is over 20 years old.

The reason it's not been implemented in EVERY crime-ridden shithole city is because the acoustics in cities are horrible--buildings tend to reflect and echo sounds, and make it nearly impossible to triangulate sounds like gunshots accurately, except in neighborhoods that have mostly small buildings and large abandoned lots like the slums.

And NOBODY--on the State or Federal level is going to spend money on a system that doesn't work in the wealthy parts of town, and ONLY works in the ghettos, because they WANT the violence to stay high in the slums...

Rocky mount and Goldsboro, and a couple smaller communities newspeek media regularly keep pinging that LE responded shot spotter notification in such and such area found joe smuck wounded, but no perp around, oh joe smuck died while LEs combed the area to assure it was safe for EMTs to enter the area!

Didn’t know the technology was that dated, tks
 
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MSG Laigaie

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Jan 10, 2011
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Philipsburg, Montana
Seems that this works in NY, but will they do anything about it?

The trio’s arrest followed a burst of five gunshots that activated an NYPD “ShotSpotter” device in Jamaica at 9:42 p.m. Saturday, sources said.

The listening device pinpointed the shooting at 174th Street and 109th Avenue, and private surveillance video captured the muzzle flashes of five shots fired from the Infiniti, sources said.

https://nypost.com/2018/04/08/direc...f-criminal-justice-busted-for-gun-possession/
 
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