Columbus City Council this week approved a measure expanding ShotSpotter by three square miles on the Near East Side.
The technology uses microphones, sensors, and computer software to give police an accurate location of where gunshots originated, and it's been beneficial for officers according to Columbus Police deputy chief Richard Bash.
"We're getting about 20 percent of the calls of shots fired throughout the city," Bash said. "ShotSpotter picks up the other 80 percent without ever getting a 911 call or a 645-4545 call. So it's extraordinarily important to enhance the safety of that community to have ShotSpotter there available for the officers to respond. We are getting enough evidence to close cases just because of what we're getting from ShotSpotter. Just over the past six months, 19 arrests only because of ShotSpotter and no other information available."
The devices are currently in the Hilltop, South Side, and Linden. ShotSpotter alerts are instantly sent to officers in the area either to their cell phones or cruisers.
"We've seen response times reduced from 6 to 8 minutes down to as little as 60 seconds because of that," Bash continued. "We've found at least three victims. We've saved their lives because of the aid officers rendered that never would have been called in because we had no calls corresponding."
City Council says the more than $1.1 million-dollar contract extends expiring coverage areas and covers the Near East Side expansion.
