Gunshot detection testing on east side of Indianapolis. Here's what to know
Gunshot detection systems on the east side of Indianapolis went live the last week of September, allowing police to study the technology’s effectiveness in investigating shootings.
Why that matters: After two years of record-breaking deadly violence, Indianapolis has invested an unprecedented amount of money to a three-year, violence-reduction plan. Piloting a gunshot detection system, which pinpoints the location of gunfire and sends the location to police, is one part of how Indianapolis Metropolitan Police intend to spend $9 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars on technology upgrades.
How much it will cost: The companies are not charging the city to test their equipment, the department said. The overall cost won't be known until a vendor is selected. "From now until that point there is no cost to IMPD or the City of Indianapolis to test the products during this pilot program," said Sgt. Genae Cook.
If you hear gunshots: Residents need to call 911 if they believe they’ve heard gunshots in their neighborhood.
“In fact, it's essential to properly evaluating this technology," said Cmdr. Matthew Thomas in September.
Location, location, location: Detection systems are installed in a roughly 5-square-mile area on the east side of Indianapolis. The area stretches from Massachusetts Avenue and East 21st Street to the north; Emerson Avenue to the east, East Washington Street to the south; and North Oriental Street to the west. Neighborhoods included in the testing phase are Little Flower, Tuxedo Park, Bosart Brown and Woodruff Place. The area around Brookside Park also falls in the testing area.
Whose technology is being tested?
Police are testing technology from three companies:
In context: The technology is in final of the police department’s six-part plan to study the effectiveness of gunshot detection systems in Indianapolis. Here are the plans for the rollout:
Phase 1: The technology is installed and its sensors are calibrated. This phase started in April and ended Sunday, Sept. 25
Phase 2: The systems become operational, but no officers will actively respond. Police will instead start gathering data and return to the area the next morning where a sensor alerted.
Phases 3-5: Officers will only respond to alerts from a single vendor for a period of three weeks. Police will continue to gather data from each of the three vendors to compare which systems may have detected gunshots, and which did not. The first three weeks will be dedicated to the Flock vender, followed by three weeks responding to ShotSpotter and the final weeks to J & M Security Systems. The system entered Phase 3 on Oct. 12, 2022.
Phase 6: Police will analyze the technology data along with IUPUI. The technologies will be evaluated to see if they improve officer response time to shots fired incidents, if they alert officers to unreported shots fired incidents and if they assist with evidence collection. The system entered Phase 6 on Dec. 5, 2022.
Officials will then open a bid to the vendors and select one to deploy its technology in the city for a year.
“At that point, we’ll be making a decision. Is this a technology that’s right for Indianapolis?” Thomas said.
Contact Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Gunshot detection rollout on Indianapolis east side: What to know
