Sheriffs Dept. Says "Shotspotter" Gunfire Location System Recently Helped Make Handgun Arrest in Willowbrook Area

(Jan. 19, 2012) -- Here's more on a story LBReport.com continues to follow:

In a January 18 Nixle dispatch, the L.A. County Sheriffs Dept. says the "Shotspotter" gunfire location system (deployed at its Century station) helped make Deputies make a handgun arrest in the Willowbrook area. The LASD dispatch says says the Shotspotter system registered gunshots in the Willowbrook area and Sheriff deputies quickly responded to the location. They spotted a suspect fleeing carrying a handgun in his hand who (after allegedly ignoring verbal orders to stop fleeing) discarded the handgun and was arrested without incident.

"Evidence of a shooting and the loaded firearm were both located during a subsequent investigation. The suspect later admitted to shooting the gun in the air," LASD's dispatch said.

In Long Beach, City Manager Pat West recommended allocating $350,000 from accrued oil revenue for the system. In a September 2, 2011 memo to the Mayor and City Council, the City Manager wrote, "The ShotSpotter gunshot detection system would be valuable tool to assist the Department in responding to incidents, as well as in their investigation." On October 4, the City Council voted (6-3) to approve the sum. In mid-November 2011, LBReport.com learned that LBPD had no date set at that time for deploying "ShotSpotter" technology.

LBPD Administration Bureau Chief Braden Phillips told us at that time that LBPD was examining the system's affordability and hadn't completed vetting locations where it could be installed in view of what LBPD wants the system to do. Mr. Phillips acknowledged that the ShotSpotter technology appears to be a very effective way to locate gunfire but said the system is quite expensive "so figuring out where to put it and what we want to focus on is very important, and has to be based on some refined analytics." He added that LBPD was looking at the size of the area it wants to cover and examining the cost of the system for that area as well as looking at similar technologies [from other firms] that may suit LBPD purposes. "We're taking a look at those to make sure ShotSpotter is in fact that right technology to give us what we need or whether others might be better for us," he said.

Developing.