Customer StoriesDecember 4, 2025

ShotSpotter in Oakland: Saving Lives, Solving Gun Crimes, and Protecting the Community

Community Safety, Gun Crime Investigations, Gunshot Detection

SoundThinking Delivers Comprehensive Report to Oakland City Officials

Author

Gregg Makuch

Date

December 4, 2025

Reading Time

5 Minutes

Topic

Community Safety, Gun Crime Investigations, Gunshot Detection

Gun violence has long cast a shadow over Oakland. But thanks to technology like ShotSpotter®, police officers are getting to scenes faster, finding victims who might otherwise be lost, and collecting the evidence needed to bring shooters to justice.

Many incidents of gunfire never reach the 9-1-1 system. Nationwide research shows that only about 20% of gunshots are reported by bystanders. Oakland adopted ShotSpotter nearly two decades ago as a critical part of its public-safety strategy. By detecting gunfire in near real time and providing accurate location data to first responders, the system helps the Oakland Police Department (OPD) respond more quickly, gather evidence, and, most importantly, save lives.

ShotSpotter Alerts and Save Lives

According to a recent report from SoundThinking to Oakland officials, from 2020 to 2023, the system directed OPD to 386 victims who had no corresponding 9-1-1 call within 15 minutes or within 1,000 feet, underscoring the lives potentially saved. The initial response time is critical, as every second counts for gunshot victims — faster alerts mean quicker medical care, improving survival rates and reducing long-term injuries.

Oakland Police find injured victim after responding to ShotSpotter Activation
By Jose Fabian
March 24, 2025 / 5:35 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

Oakland Police said a ShotSpotter activation led them to an injured victim on Monday. Around 4:15 p.m, a ShotSpotter activation was triggered on the 6400 black of Foothill Boulevard. When Officers went to the scene, they found a victim with at least one gunshot wound. They were taken to a hospital and were in stable condition, police said. The shooting remains under investigation.

Few stories illustrate the power of ShotSpotter’s life-saving technology more vividly than that of Retired Oakland Police Captain Ersie Joyner. In 2022, Joyner was ambushed while refueling his car and was shot 22 times. No one called 9-1-1. ShotSpotter detected the gunfire, alerted police within seconds, and officers arrived quickly enough to save his life. “The ShotSpotter gun detection technology employed by Oakland police was key to my survival,” Joyner later told KTVU.

Joyner’s experience is not unique. In recent years, ShotSpotter has directed officers to more than 400 gunshot victims who never generated a 9-1-1 call, giving them a fighting chance at survival.

"It is very important for us. It tells us the number of rounds that were fired. It gives us the location that gives us a faster response to get there, so we can locate the victim," said Sgt. Hui Nguyen, president of the Oakland Police Officers' Association.

Nguyen admits that ShotSpotter isn't perfect. But he states it still gives police a more accurate location than a 911 call.

"If we go back to the old days, when I first started, there is a time where we don't locate the victim's body until 10 hours later or the following morning. Especially at nighttime when we are out there working the night shift," Nguyen said.

Alerts That Lead to Arrests

ShotSpotter’s precision helps officers respond quickly and safely — often while a suspect is still nearby. In January 2023, an East Oakland mass shooting that left one person dead and seven injured at a music video set was solved in part because of ShotSpotter alerts. Police used the system’s data to pinpoint the location and recover shell casings, leading to an arrest within days.

Similarly, in February 2025, a ShotSpotter activation alerted officers that multiple rounds had been fired on Seminary Avenue — just moments before bullets struck a police vehicle. Officers were able to track the direction of fire and safely apprehend the shooter.

"I Believe ShotSpotter had been a good partner in Oakland. It has done a good job at saving lives in Oakland." Councilman Kevin Jenkins said.

He said police data shows that between 2010 and 2023, ShotSpotter has helped save the lives of 400. gunshots victims by enabling officers to respond quickly to shootings.

"It's no secret that we have problems with out 911 system that we are working actively to resolve." Jenkins said. "Sometimes, people call 911 and are left on hold. But when ShotSpotter is activated, the police know exactly where to go and get quick paramedic responses."

Jenkins added: "The price of a life is way more than whatever this contract is. If we save one life, the contract is worth it."

More than Gunfire Alerts

ShotSpotter is more than a sensor network providing gunfire alerts. It is a technology that provides data that police need to understand where violence is happening and how to respond. ShotSpotter’s geolocation data and shot-detection sequencing give OPD the tools for linking shell casings, identifying shooter groups, and reconstructing crime scenes.

In 2023 alone, the system generated over 8,300 alerts, leading to 199 criminal cases and helping officers recover hundreds of shell casings and illegal firearms. It provides near-real-time visibility into otherwise unseen gunfire, enabling quicker, life-saving responses and helping locate evidence of gunfire that strengthens investigations. ShotSpotter technology alone won’t end gun violence. But when thoughtfully deployed and integrated as Oakland is doing, it becomes a key instrument in the broader strategy for safer communities.