After an increase in violence, these local Council Members request the new technology be brought to The Bronx
In light of the recent increase in violence in the 47th and 52nd precincts, Council Member Andrew Cohen, Council Member Andy King and Council Member Ritchie Torres have sent a letter to Commissioner of the New York Police Department, William Bratton requesting that ShotSpotter be instated in those areas.
ShotSpotter is a new technology being implemented by the New York Police Department that will help determine specifically where gun shots are fired from. Its first-in-kind technology detects the fullest range of gunfire, covers exponentially more geographic area, and collects data that helps communities define the scope of illegal gunfire. ShotSpotter has the ability to detect attacks from any direction and weapons fire in 360 degrees relative to that sensor. Based on the information received, this technology then creates a database of incidents and trends.
This proven technology will help police officers track shootings that occur in those neighborhoods and help deter the violent crimes that have sadly become commonplace in the north Bronx. It is the belief of the Council Members that ShotSpotter will help to enhance the quality of life in the neighborhoods affected by this increase in violent activity and are committed to working together to ensure that our communities continue to be a safe place to live, work and raise a family.
“The safety of our community is my number one priority. I firmly believe that by instating the new ShotSpotter technology in the 47th and 52nd precincts we will be able to tackle this recent escalation of violence. I hope Commissioner Bratton takes our request into consideration so that together we can take a new and improved approach to tracking shootings in our neighborhoods,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen
“Public safety is the core function of government. The installation of ShotSpotter technology in the 47th and 52nd precincts would represent a 21st century approach to tracking and preventing shootings in some of the Bronx neighborhoods most plagued by gun violence,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres
“ShotSpotter technology has been proven to help law enforcement in other cities to collect bullet casings and identify when and where shots were fired in a neighborhood. I’m hoping Commissioner Bratton will bring this technology to the 47th and 52nd precincts, which is leading the city in gun shootings. This technology is desperately needed to help our police force combat the rise in shootings,” explained Council Member Andy King, 12th District representative and co-Chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus.
