SoundThinking Delivers Comprehensive Report to Oakland Officials Highlighting ShotSpotter's Critical Role in Public Safety
Summary: SoundThinking, Inc. today announced the delivery of a detailed report to Oakland city officials, demonstrating how OPD's use of ShotSpotter has made an impact on public safety since 2006, including lives saved, reduced gun violence, enhanced evidence collection, and substantial cost savings.
FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SoundThinking, Inc. (NASDAQ:SSTI), a leading public safety technology company, today delivered a 30-page report to Oakland city officials detailing the crucial role of the Oakland Police Department's (OPD) use of ShotSpotter in the city's public safety strategy. The report comes as the Oakland City Council's Public Safety Committee prepares to discuss the potential renewal of the ShotSpotter contract.
SoundThinking's report, based on data from the OPD and independent studies, found that since its deployment in Oakland in 2006, ShotSpotter has:
- Directed OPD to 386 gunshot victims from 2020 to 2023 who did not have a corresponding 911 call within 15 minutes or 1,000 feet of the location, potentially saving numerous lives.
- Enhanced faster and more comprehensive police response to criminal gunfire incidents, crucial as less than 10% of such incidents are reported via 911.
- Supported major crime-fighting initiatives like Operation Ceasefire with accurate gunfire data for effective resource deployment and strategic violence reduction efforts.
- Demonstrated cost-effectiveness and ROI: every life is immeasurable, but the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) estimates the cost savings of preventing each fatal shooting to be $3.2 million. This compares very favorably to the roughly $800,000 annual investment in ShotSpotter in Oakland.
The report addresses and refutes several claims made against ShotSpotter, providing evidence of its effectiveness in reducing response times, improving evidence collection, and its impact on arrest outcomes. It highlights ShotSpotter's high accuracy rate of 97%, which exceeds its contractual commitment of 90%, and its acceptance as reliable evidence in over 340 court cases across 24 states.
"SoundThinking and Oakland have worked hand-in-hand since 2006 to combat gun violence, a partnership that has helped yield significant results in public safety," said SoundThinking CEO Ralph Clark. "This report shows how ShotSpotter has helped empower Oakland's police to respond rapidly to gunfire, save lives, and gather crucial evidence. We remain committed to Oakland, continuing our shared mission of addressing the scourge of gun violence and keeping Oaklanders safe."
The report also includes strong support for ShotSpotter from Oakland's business leaders, residents, and city officials, including Mayor Sheng Thao and Chief of Police Floyd Mitchell. Notable companies in Oakland such as Blue Shield of California, The Clorox Company, Kaiser Permanente, and Pacific Gas & Electric have expressed their "vehement" opposition to cutting ShotSpotter funding.
Read the formal response here.
To learn more about SoundThinking's full range of public safety technologies, please visit www.SoundThinking.com.
About SoundThinking
SoundThinking, Inc. (NASDAQ:SSTI) is a leading public safety technology company that delivers AI- and data-driven solutions for law enforcement, civic leadership, and security professionals. SoundThinking is trusted by approximately 250 customers and has worked with over 2,100 agencies to drive more efficient, effective, and equitable public safety outcomes. The company's SafetySmart™ platform includes ShotSpotter®, the leading acoustic gunshot detection system; CrimeTracer™, the leading law enforcement search engine; CaseBuilder™, a one-stop investigation management system; ResourceRouter™, software that directs patrol and community anti-violence resources to help maximize their impact; SafePointe®, an AI-based weapons detection system; and PlateRanger powered by Rekor, a leading ALPR solution. SoundThinking has been designated a Great Place to Work® Company.
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