Upgraded System Will Help Reduce Violent Crime In The County And Improve Public Safety

By Charles Fisher and Randy Fisher @HHSYC

Yesterday we celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the National Night Out Against Crime by attending a press conference held by Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.  This event and the great personnel we met took the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council another step closer towards bridging the communication gap between law enforcement agencies and the Nassau County community.  In order to solve crimes the community and Police Department must work as a team and to do that we must reestablish a level of trust and respect between both parties.  This will be facilitated through our “Rap 2 Bridge the Gap” initiative, which you will be hearing a lot about in the new future.  The project is also working with Commissioner Raymond Kelly and the New York City Police Department as well.

We have been working with the County Executive (CE) for the past few years on gun and gang violence projects through the Hip-Hop Against Gun & Gang Violence initiative.  We can definitely say that he is committed to improving public safety and has been working with us to develop innovative ways to reduce gun violence with a focus on creating programs and services for at-risk youth and young adults.

At the press conference the CE unveiled some very exciting technology called ShotSpotter, a unique system that responds to a gun shot the second it goes off.  The system has now been upgraded with cameras that now take pictures of the incident and then alerts 911.  A group attending the press conference was given a tour of the site and a demonstration of just how the technology works.  We were impressed with what we saw and truly believe that this system will help deter crime.  Criminals do not like to be around cameras that are as sophisticated as the ShotSpotter system.

CE Mangano has always been a leader not just in the area of Public Safety, but also working with community groups like us to address crime directly on the streets.  With his support we can make Nassau County safer for all citizens.  Stay tuned for updates on projects that we will be coordinating with the Nassau County Police Department and CE Mangano to address gun and gang violence in and around Nassau County.

Below is the press release regarding the ShotSpotter technology.

For Immediate Release: August 6, 2013

Contact: Katie Grilli-Robles, Press Secretary (516) 571-4225

Mangano Upgrades Successful ShotSpotter System to Expand War on Gun Violence

Westbury, NY – Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano unveiled a technological upgrade to the already successful ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System which will help to further reduce incidences of gun violence in the Roosevelt and Uniondale communities.  With crime down more than 10% since County Executive Mangano took office, these reactive cameras are being added to targeted locations throughout the ShotSpotter zone to serve as a powerful law enforcement tool that will help further combat gun violence and provide assistance in the prosecution of offenders.

“My administration is expanding its war on gun violence,” said County Executive Mangano.  “Together with District Attorney Rice we have taken over 3,000 guns off Nassau streets, reduced crime by over 10% and today we take another step forward by expanding the ShotSpotter system.”

The cameras are reactive in nature where they will only be monitored once the ShotSpotter system determines gunfire has been discharged.  Once a shot is fired the cameras will pan in the direction within 4-7 seconds of where the shot was fired.  The forensic evidence and situational intelligence this gives officers is invaluable to solving and combatting violent gun crime.  The cameras have been strategically placed in public areas throughout the ShotSpotter zone based on law enforcement intelligence.  They have been paid for utilizing asset forfeiture and grant funds.

“It has been a pleasure working with the County Executive over the years to create innovative solutions to improve public safety through our Hip-Hop Against Gun & Gang Violence project.  We will continue to use Hip-Hop as a tool to help at-risk youth and young adults develop a realistic plan to better their life and the journey starts with surrendering their gun,” ended Charles Fisher, Founder, Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council.

This is the second time County Executive Mangano expanded the successful ShotSpotter program the first of which was is in May of 2010 when it was added to patrol vehicles in May of 2010.  The ShotSpotter system has proven to be a very effective law enforcement tool reducing gunshot incidences by approximately 90% in the covered area.  ShotSpotter is paid for using asset forfeiture dollars.

How ShotSpotter works:  The ShotSpotter system sensors are calibrated to listen for the unique acoustic fingerprint of gunfire.  When gunfire events occur, sensors triangulate and locate the gunshot’s point of origin to within 25 meters (82ft.).  The system records the number of shots fired, whether the shooter was stationary or moving, and provides essential audio playback of each gunshot event.  This information provides situational awareness for our law enforcement officers prior to arriving at the crime scene and invaluable evidence for post crime analysis.  Additionally, we know the nearest street address and whether the gunshot came from the front or side of a building.  Tactically, this is significant as it helps our officers respond faster and gives them a specific area to search for potential evidence, question witnesses, and in the event a victim is found; ensure that medical attention is timely.  Most importantly, this system improves both the safety of the community at large and of our responding officers.

ShotSpotter, Inc., is the world leader in gunshot location systems for public safety, homeland security and the military.  ShotSpotter GLS^® accurately detects, pinpoints and alerts police responders to the locations of gunfire and other explosive events.  In cities where it is deployed, the information provided by the ShotSpotter GLS has been credited with reducing gunfire rates by nearly 60 to 80 percent and violent crime by up to 40 percent.

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