We respond to the article written by Damon K. Jones entitled “ShotSpotter funding could be put to more effective use” which criticizes Westchester County’s purchase of a gunshot detection systems for deployment in Mount Vernon and Yonkers. 

The article provided inaccurate and misleading information. As the legislators from Mount Vernon and Yonkers, we support the County’s purchase and deployment of the Shot Spotter gunshot detection system as a tool to assist local police in dealing with the substantial increase in gunshot incidents, injuries and fatalities in our communities.  Mount Vernon has seen an increase of 59% in shooting incidents from 2007 to 2008, the number of shooting victims have increased by 67% over the same time period.  Yonkers has seen an increase of 70% in shooting incidents from 2007 to 2008, the number of shooting victims have increased by 88% over the same time. These statistics prove that there are criminal elements in our community whose acts of violence have become emboldened - they have no fear of arrest or legal repercussions for their actions.  While we must always continue to address the root causes of crime, the present circumstances are intolerable and they dictate that we use every available avenue to protect innocent residents and children from being caught in a cross-fire of gun violence. This technology will greatly assist the police in doing just that.

Shot Spotter has been proven to help law enforcement apprehend shooters, confiscate deadly weapons and deter gunfire activity that often terrorizes the community. When a gunshot is fired, the triangulation system immediately pinpoints the source and transmits location, ballistics, and other data to the police, thereby facilitating accurate deployment of police officers and EMS personnel. Video cameras linked to the system turn automatically toward the location of the gunfire to potentially capture images of what is occurring. In addition, the system can tell police how many shots were fired, how many shooters were involved and whether the shooters were stationary or moving (such as in a drive-by shooting).This data will assist the police in investigations. In addition, it will act as a deterrent because criminals will know that a system is in place to identify their activities and facilitate arrest.

The gunshot detection system is not intended as a replacement for community policing or traditional good old fashioned police work but compliments these efforts. The system has been successfully used as a crime fighting tool in several major cities including Washington, D.C.

The article which appeared in the guest column misinforms the public by suggesting that the County is spending money on this system instead of investing in youth. Nothing could be further from the truth. The County funds many youth-service programs in Mount Vernon and Yonkers including gang prevention programs, the Boys and Girls Club, Invest-in-Kids programs, youth employment, computers and monitors for the schools through the County’s technology recycling program, and many social services and other programs.

The Shot Spotter program is just one component to help stem the tide of gun violence in our communities. For those who question the cost, we ask, how do you quantify, in dollars and cents, a life saved, a crime deterred, harassment quelled, freedom from fear, or peace of mind restored?