Evaluation of ShotSpotter Program

Summary

The City of Fayetteville conducted a data review of ShotSpotter effectiveness, examining 18 months of activity across three designated coverage zones. The review found that ShotSpotter substantially increased the total number of gunshot-related notifications received by the police department, but the data suggests that ShotSpotter-only alerts may not significantly improve police productivity or outcomes without corroborating 911 calls. The report provides findings, contextual analysis, and operational adjustments to inform City Council's determination on the renewal or nonrenewal of the ShotSpotter contract.

Details

Subject

Evaluation of ShotSpotter Program

Summary

The City of Fayetteville conducted a data review of ShotSpotter effectiveness, examining 18 months of activity across three designated coverage zones. The review found that ShotSpotter substantially increased the total number of gunshot-related notifications received by the police department, but the data suggests that ShotSpotter-only alerts may not significantly improve police productivity or outcomes without corroborating 911 calls. The report provides findings, contextual analysis, and operational adjustments to inform City Council's determination on the renewal or nonrenewal of the ShotSpotter contract.

Report Date

2026-05

Report Type

study

Report Title

Evaluating the Wilson Center's ShotSpotter Program Evaluation and Findings

Authoring Body

Office of Strategic Performance & Analytics (SPA), Fayetteville Police Department (FPD), Office of Special Projects, Office of Community Safety (OCS), SoundThinking (ShotSpotter)

Reporting Period

September 26, 2023 - March 31, 2025