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San Antonio police cut pricey gunshot detection system
How much does one arrest cost?
In this case, more than $136,500.
Last year, San Antonio officials decided to fund ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system that alerts police when gunshots go off in a certain area. Former District 2 Councilman Alan Warrick aggressively pushed for the program, saying it would ensure police were alerted to gunfire, even if residents were too scared to call 911
The city spent about $546,000 total on the ShotSpotter program, which includes $378,000 on the system itself and a new mobile app for officers, and another $168,000 on overtime to ensure a patrol officer responded to every ShotSpotter alert that went off between the hours of 5 p.m. and 3 a.m.
The system was installed in undisclosed locations on the city's East and West sides, including Warrick's district, where gun violence was particularly problematic.
The payoff? San Antonio police have made four arrests and confiscated seven weapons in cases that could be attributed specifically to the ShotSpotter alert system.
About 80 percent of the times when ShotSpotter was activated, police could find no evidence of a shooting at the scene, said Joe Frank Picazo, assistant to SAPD Police Chief William McManus.
Now, the city has decided to stop funding the program completely; ShotSpotter is not included in the proposed FY 2018 budget, which the city council votes on Sept. 14. Warrick lost his reelection bid in June, so there's no one left on council actively advocating for the program
S.A. cuts funding to $550K gunshot detection program that resulted in 4 arrests
How much does one arrest cost?
In this case, more than $136,500.
Last year, San Antonio officials decided to fund ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system that alerts police when gunshots go off in a certain area. Former District 2 Councilman Alan Warrick aggressively pushed for the program, saying it would ensure police were alerted to gunfire, even if residents were too scared to call 911
The city spent about $546,000 total on the ShotSpotter program, which includes $378,000 on the system itself and a new mobile app for officers, and another $168,000 on overtime to ensure a patrol officer responded to every ShotSpotter alert that went off between the hours of 5 p.m. and 3 a.m.
The system was installed in undisclosed locations on the city's East and West sides, including Warrick's district, where gun violence was particularly problematic.
The payoff? San Antonio police have made four arrests and confiscated seven weapons in cases that could be attributed specifically to the ShotSpotter alert system.
About 80 percent of the times when ShotSpotter was activated, police could find no evidence of a shooting at the scene, said Joe Frank Picazo, assistant to SAPD Police Chief William McManus.
Now, the city has decided to stop funding the program completely; ShotSpotter is not included in the proposed FY 2018 budget, which the city council votes on Sept. 14. Warrick lost his reelection bid in June, so there's no one left on council actively advocating for the program
S.A. cuts funding to $550K gunshot detection program that resulted in 4 arrests
