Are Gunshot Detectors Worth the Investment?

A recent report by Transforma Insights, ‘Public alarm and monitor: applying IoT to provide timely emergency assistance to citizens’ reports that 250,227 gun-related deaths occurred worldwide in 2019, of which 65.9 percent occurred in six countries. Happened Brazil, United States, Venezuela, Mexico, India and Colombia. To combat this problem, governments (especially in the US) are investing heavily in deploying gunshot detectors. Most of these acoustic sensors are installed on buildings or various types of street furniture to track the sound of gunfire and alert the authorities in time.

In this blog, we focus on the reasons behind the deployment of gunshot detectors in the US, the major concerns they pose, and why it still makes sense for the US government to invest in these solutions.

Why Deploy Gunshot Detectors?

In its recent report, Transforma Insights documented a significant increase in the deployment of gunshot detectors in recent years. Key vendor Soundthinking (formerly ShotSpotter) has deployed solutions in more than 150 cities across the US alone, serving more than 250 customers and 2,000 police and government agencies. What is the reason behind this trend of deploying this capability?

Rising cases of mass shootings and gun-related crimes

The latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that there will be 48,830 gunshot deaths in 2021, an increase of nearly 23 percent from 2017 when 39,773 people died due to gun violence. The two-decade comparison is even more striking as it shows a 70 percent increase when we compare the scenarios to 2019, where there were 28,874 gunshot deaths. Mass shootings are also increasing in countries like America. More than 600 cases of mass shootings have been reported in the US every year from 2020 to 2022. In the first 5 months of 2023, the country witnessed 263 mass shootings, resulting in 327 deaths.

Under-reporting of shooting incidents

Despite the large number of incidents of gun violence in the country, the majority of gun shootings in the US are not reported to the authorities. A 2016 study by the Brooking Institute noted that only 12 percent of gunshot cases are reported to emergency services in the US and that the information is still inaccurate in most reported cases.

Do Gunshot Detectors Work?

The aforementioned Soundthinking reports that deploying gunshot detectors can reduce homicides by 30-60 percent. However, Transforma Insights still identifies several persistent issues that require attention by both manufacturers and government officials who are using these solutions.

Cost of deploying Gunshot solution

Although the sensors deployed are fairly cheap and cost only around $2.50, the total cost of deploying these solutions is quite expensive and can cost between $65,000 and $95,000 per square mile every year. The additional cost incurred due to the time and resources invested by government officials in specifying and implementing such a system is not mentioned.

limited access to data

To avoid the high initial cost, many providers are now leasing these solutions to the government rather than asking the government to buy complete software and hardware upfront. In this case, most providers retain ownership of the data they collect and lease access to this data to police departments for an annual subscription fee. This often obscures the data and limits access to it (for example, in cases such as lapsed contracts).

Inaccuracy is still a major concern

In addition to cost and access, accuracy rates are a concern. According to the report, the accuracy rate of gunshot detectors is less than 10 percent. To cite one example, according to the Chicago Inspector General’s Office, only 9.1 percent of the 50,000 warnings reported ultimately resulted in evidence of a crime related to the shooting.

Is the investment still worthwhile?

Despite the drawbacks of gunshot detectors, authorities are increasingly investing and signing long-term deals to deploy these solutions. For example, New York and Chicago signed five-year contracts with gunshot detection solution provider Soundthinking (formerly ShotSpotter). Chicago has already added a year for $5.7 million, while New York also signed a $22 million contract last December that extends through 2024. This trend is likely to continue due to the significant impact these solutions have in their deployed areas.

save human life

After deploying gunshot detectors, Omaha experienced a 55 percent decrease in homicides, and Pittsburgh experienced a 36 percent decrease in the number of homicides year-over-year. In addition, homicides decreased by 60 percent in West Palm Beach and gun violence decreased by 48 percent in Cincinnati.

reduce shooting incidents

After the implementation of gunshot detectors, Oakland saw a 66 percent decrease in shootings per square mile, Camden County saw 46 percent fewer shootings, and West Palm Beach saw 65 percent fewer shootings. Similarly, Rochester decreased its shootings by 40 percent in 2020 after deploying gunshot detectors, and Fort Myers decreased its shootings by 33 percent.

help arrest criminals

Gunshot detectors have additionally assisted officers in apprehending criminals due to their ability to alert about these incidents within seconds. For example, in Denver, between 2018 and 2021, gunshot detectors led to 337 arrests. Additionally, within 16 months of their deployment in February 2019, these detectors have facilitated 133 arrests in Columbus. They also enabled the Oakland Police to save 101 victims of unidentified shootings in 2020.

“Gunshot detectors have been of additional assistance to officers in apprehending criminals because of their ability to alert them to these incidents within seconds.”

What does this mean on the future of these solutions?

Despite all their shortcomings, gunshot detectors, as can be seen from the examples above, have been a great aid to authorities in enabling the safety of citizens and ensuring that either crimes are reduced, or criminals are caught. should be given their due punishment. New business models allowing authorities to lease entire setups, along with advances in technology to increase the accuracy and reduce the cost of these sensors, means we can expect an increase in their deployment as Most state governments in the US would be willing to invest in this. protection of citizens.