Draft Technical Report For SECURES Demonstration in Hampton and Newport News, Virginia

• NCJ Number: 233342
• Author(s): Michael Litch
• Date Published: January 2011
• Length: 73 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2003-IJ-CX-K029
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

This draft technical report presents an evaluation and overview of the deployment and operational initiatives of the SECURES acoustic gunshot detection system in Newport News and Hampton, VA.

Abstract

The evaluation, which was conducted by an independent third party based on research and statistical data collected during SECURES operation, found that the live-fire tests conducted, although differing in actual results, suggest that the detection of handguns being fired, particularly in calibers of 9 mm and greater, was accurately detected by the SECURES system. In addition, the ability of the SECURES system to locate where gunshots were fired was accurate, often localizing the test-shot location within a 10-foot radius. Trade-offs between detecting true positives and false positives were noted, such that false positives could be reduced to near zero with a relatively small loss in true positives. The evaluation also concluded that there were indications that public awareness of the SECURES system may produce a decrease in the number of gunshot-related 911 calls. Eleven arrests were made as a result of SECURES-related dispatches. These arrests can conservatively be attributed solely to the SECURES system deployment. In Newport News, there were four gunshot victims found as a result of SECURES-related dispatches; one would not have been found otherwise. The other three gunshot victims involved incidents for which 911 calls were also made. The deployment and operations of the SECURES systems in Newport News and Hampton were completed under best practices that were available at the time the systems were deployed. Policy recommendations are offered. 19 figures