ST PAUL, Minn. — The Capital City's surge in gun violence this year has sent police and elected leaders searching for new solutions, new ways to protect the public and intervene in the lives of young persons in jeopardy of becoming caught up in the cycle of crime.
In the midst of that debate St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell proposed a pilot program using ShotSpotter gunfire detection system. The technology, adopted by Minneapolis and 90 other cities, uses listening devices that can pinpoint the location of gunshots through triangulation.
The information is calculated rapidly and dispensed to law enforcement agencies and patrol officers, enabling them to reach shooting scenes more quickly and gather evidence such as shell casings. Some systems add a live video component that instantly displays real time surveillance camera feeds within close proximity to the origins of the shots.
Chief Axtell was on the verge of applying for state and federal grants to cover the $250,000 cost of ShotSpotter plus two employees to operate it. Axtell's staff had sent city council members links to news accounts about the technology, and links to the company's YouTube video explaining how it works.
Mayor Melvin Carter, however, isn't sold on the cost effectiveness of ShotSpotter as part of an overall strategy to prevent and reduce gun violence. In a series of email exchanges with Axtell, Carter quoted articles -- including one from Police Chief Magazine -- saying it's difficult to justify the cost for cash-strapped cities.
The Mayor said he was yet to see an independent, third party evaluation weighing the costs against the benefits. Chief Axtell implored the mayor to consider the endorsements from Minneapolis and other departments but couldn't persuade the mayor to get on board with ShotSpotter.
When asked for a response Wednesday, Mayor Carter's communications director Peter Leggett issued this statement:
"We have heard loud and clear that addressing the complex causes of gun violence requires a comprehensive set of solutions. Today, Mayor Carter will address the City Council directly, proposing over $1 million of annual public safety investments, rooted in data and evidence, to end the cycles of violence that have afflicted our city for far too long."
Minneapolis experience
Minneapolis has used ShotSpotter for the past 15 years, starting with a square mile of coverage. The MPD was so impressed with the results it expanded coverage to six square miles and is paying roughly $400,000 per year.
"It doesn't just go down to the intersection or the address, but it will oftentimes tell us whether it was in the front yard or the back yard, so it’s a very rapid way of identifying gunfire," Minneapolis Police Commander Scott Gerlicher told KARE.
"It’s been very critical in providing us evidence in weapons investigations, homicides, shootings and other crimes."
He says the system is more precise than trying to search for the gunfire based on calls from citizens. And, in some cases, ShotSpotter is the only notice police get.
"We’ve had multiple occasion where we’ve responded and ShotSpotter is the only reason that we’ve initially responded and found homicide victims, shooting victims."
City Council flare-up
When Mayor Carter presented his expanded public safety budget proposal Wednesday, he heard from Council Member Dai Thao, who was upset ShotSpotter wasn't part of the mayor's plan.
"I want to just ask you; do you think that my kids are important to you? Just say yes or no!" Thao said to the mayor in the packed meeting.
Carter replied, "Council Member, of course they are. My children are important to the community."
He went on to say the city needs to spend its money on proven methods, rather than "toys" that give "the perception of safety."
Thao later told KARE, "To turn this technology down and compare it to a toy is an insult to victims and families of gun violence and first responders."
Chief Axtell later said he appreciates the mayor's long-term approach to dealing with the root causes of violence but was disappointed the department can't move forward with ShotSpotter.
"I’m disappointed that we won’t be able to employ ShotSpotter in our efforts to address the immediate crisis our neighborhoods are facing on a daily basis," Axtell wrote, in a statement to KARE.
"I will not let it deter us from working every day to protect the peace and maintain public safety through hard work, innovation, collaboration and trusted service with respect."
