An empirical evaluation: gunshot detection system and its effectiveness on police practices

Abstract

The rapid development of technologies has led police departments to adopt new physical security systems to manage violent crimes. This study evaluates the implementation of a gunshot detection system in an urban neighborhood plagued by high rates of violent crime in southeast Massachusetts. Data were collected from the police dispatch log of a southeastern Massachusetts city employing the technology; the research design then evaluated the impact of the Shotspotter™ system on the ability of the police to more effectively identify, investigate, and prosecute gun-involved crimes. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design confirming positive outcomes in police response and dispatch times, but not except case resolutions. Future research may need to establish a refined measurement on case resolution variable to clearly reflect its constructs considering the police investigation process.

Keywords:

• control of public space
• crime
• gunshot detection system
• physical security system
• situational crime prevention
• Shotspotter