ShotSpotter Technology Helps Law Enforcement Identify and Deter Illegal Fourth of July Celebratory Gunfire

Rhea-AI Summary

ShotSpotter, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSTI) reports a significant rise in illegal celebratory gunfire during the Fourth of July, with incidents increasing by 2.5 times the daily average in 2019. The company highlights that celebratory gunfire can lead to severe injuries, noting a one-third fatality rate from falling bullets. ShotSpotter's advanced detection system helps police accurately identify and respond to gunfire, reducing misidentification of fireworks as gunshots. The system boasts a false positive rate of under 0.5%, aided by machine learning and extensive acoustic data.

Positive

• ShotSpotter's gunfire detection system effectively reduces police resource wastage during busy holiday periods.
• The system achieves a remarkable false positive rate of less than 0.5%, enhancing reliability.

Negative

• None.

NEWARK, Calif., June 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Fourth of July holiday may be known for fireworks, but it is also the second busiest day of the year for illegal “celebratory” gunfire, exposing innocent people to the risk of being injured or killed from errant bullets, according to ShotSpotter, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSTI), the leader in solutions that help law enforcement officials identify, locate and deter gun violence. 

Gunfire incidents on July 4^th in U.S. cities using ShotSpotter during 2019 were 2.5 times higher than the daily average for May through August in that same year. In several cities, the rate was up to 20 times higher on July 4^th than the average summer day in 2019.   Wounds from celebratory gunshots may be more lethal than other gunshots, as the bullets are more likely to be head wounds.  A seven-year hospital study in Los Angeles found that the death rate from non-celebratory shootings were between 2 percent and 6 percent, while the death rate for those struck by falling bullets was close to one third*.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last year, the Bureau of Police prepared for celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve with increased staffing and a command center to respond to every incident of gunfire. “There’s a good possibility that if you fire a shot, you’re going to see a police officer relatively soon,” said Pittsburgh’s Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich. “If you don’t see an officer that evening, you might still get a knock on the door in the days that follow, because ShotSpotter helps us pin down the location from which a gun was fired.”

A challenge for police during holiday periods such as July 4^th and New Year’s is that residents may mistake the sound of fireworks for gunfire, unwittingly calling police and consuming valuable resources at a critical time. ShotSpotter’s gunfire detection system helps to alleviate this issue by carefully distinguishing between fireworks and gunfire.

“We continue to improve ShotSpotter’s accuracy by leveraging our recent advancements in machine learning and proprietary database of nearly 20 million acoustic events,” said Ralph A. Clark, CEO and President.  “We have also invested in new acoustic and visual assessment tools for our experienced Incident Review Center Staff to differentiate fireworks from gunshots. The results of using both machine and human classification have earned ShotSpotter a near perfect score with a reported false positive rate of less than ½ of 1%.”

ShotSpotter offers resources for law enforcement officials to help reduce celebratory gunfire and are available at the ShotSpotter web site at  https://www.shotspotter.com/celebratorygunfire/.

* https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/24/how-dangerous-is-celebratory-gunfire

About ShotSpotter Inc.
ShotSpotter (NASDAQ: SSTI) provides acoustic gunshot detection and precision-policing solutions to help law enforcement officials and security personnel prevent and reduce gun violence and make cities, campuses and facilities safer. The company’s flagship product, ShotSpotter^® Flex™, is the leading gunshot detection, location and forensic analysis system, and is trusted by over 100 cities.  ShotSpotter^® Missions™ uses artificial intelligence-driven analysis to help strategically plan patrol missions and tactics for maximum crime deterrence. ShotSpotter has been designated a Great Place to Work^® company.             

For more media information for ShotSpotter, contact:

Media Contact:
Liz Einbinder 
ShotSpotter, Inc. 
+1 (510) 794-3147
leinbinder@shotspotter.com
             
Investor Relations Contacts:
Matt Glover
Gateway Investor Relations
+1 (949) 574-3860
SSTI@gatewayir.com

JoAnne Horne
Market Street Partners
 +1 (415) 445-3240
jhorne@marketstreetpartners.com

FAQ

How does ShotSpotter (SSTI) improve gunfire detection accuracy?

ShotSpotter enhances accuracy through machine learning and a database of nearly 20 million acoustic events.

What was the increase in celebratory gunfire incidents reported by SSTI for July 4th?

Incidents of gunfire on July 4th were 2.5 times higher than the daily average for May through August 2019.

What is the death rate from celebratory gunfire according to ShotSpotter's report?

The death rate from celebratory gunfire can be as high as one-third, significantly above the rate for other gunshots.

What key feature helps ShotSpotter differentiate between gunfire and fireworks?

ShotSpotter uses advanced acoustic analysis and incident review staff to distinguish gunfire from fireworks.