Illegal “Celebratory” Gunfire Spikes on New Year’s Eve: ShotSpotter Offers Five Tips on How to Combat Celebratory Gunfire

NEWARK, Calif., Dec. 28, 2017 -- New Year’s Eve is the busiest night of the year for illegal “celebratory” gunfire, exposing innocent people to the risk of being injured or worse killed on this day due to the callous behavior of a few, according to ShotSpotter (NASDAQ:SSTI), the leader in gunshot detection solutions that help law enforcement officials and security personnel identify, locate and deter gun violence. 

“Celebratory gunfire is not only reckless, it is illegal,” said Ralph Clark, ShotSpotter CEO and President. “It poses a danger to innocent bystanders, including children, because the bullet is ultimately going to land somewhere.  Being hit by a bullet falling from the air can be just as dangerous as being shot directly. Experience shows that when law enforcement agencies proactively implement steps to curtail celebratory gunfire, they have been effective in reducing these unfortunate incidents.”

Experts from ShotSpotter offer these five tips for law enforcement officials to help reduce celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve: 

1. Plan ahead - Do research in advance to identify hot spot areas in order to address where celebratory gunfire was detected last year.
   
   
2. Communicate and collaborate broadly - In addition to engaging agency personnel, collaborate with local prosecutors and local trauma hospital leadership to amplify the danger of celebratory gunfire.
   
   
3. Knock on doors - Assign uniformed agency personnel to visit each address on the hot spot list and talk with residents during the days before New Year’s Eve. Take the time to explain the dangers of celebratory gunfire and tell of tragedies the local agency might have experienced first-hand.
   
   
4. Enforce consequences of celebratory gunfire - Remind residents of the criminal consequences of celebratory gunfire.  Use social media to get the word out, talk with gang task force leaders, and encourage your community to educate one another about the dangers of illegal celebratory gunfire.
   
   
5. Assign special police units - During the New Year’s Eve period assign special police units, or overtime cars, to hot spot areas for quick response to gunfire alerts.

In addition to the five tips listed above, ShotSpotter advocates strong community engagement, including:

• Broadly announce your agency’s New Year’s Eve proactive policing plan, using a combination of community meetings, notices (i.e., door hangers in multiple languages), and social media.
• Engage community and community leaders – Make them aware of the dangers of celebratory gunfire and encourage them to report all incidents.
• Encourage media to report about the dangers of celebratory gunfire - Educate readers that law enforcement will take an active role to catch and prosecute celebratory gunfire offenders.

To help communities and law enforcement curb celebratory gunfire, ShotSpotter offers an Online tool kit for police departments at http://www.shotspotter.com/celebratorygunfire with information, strategies and templates to help combat illegal celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve.

About ShotSpotter, Inc. 
ShotSpotter is the leader in gunshot detection solutions that help law enforcement officials and security personnel identify, locate and deter gun violence. ShotSpotter’s solutions help law enforcement officials and security personnel identify, locate and deter gun violence. ShotSpotter is based in Newark, California and offers its solutions on a SaaS-based subscription model.

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