ShotSpotter alerts and violent crime trending down in Jacksonville early into 2024

WOKV-FM reported on a decrease in shootings in high crime areas in Jacksonville, FL, a notable outcome that law enforcement attributes to the use of ShotSpotter. According to police ShotSpotter alerts are down nearly 25% compared to the same time last year, while shootings in the city are down 8.6% and murders are down nearly 30%. “It’s not going to solve violent crime. It’s not going to solve shootings, but it’s a piece of the puzzle that we can use to do that,” JSO Assistant Chief Michael Paul explained. “It is a tool that we use to keep people safe. It keeps people who are shot, and no one calls 911 alive. It also alerts the police to gunshots in neighborhoods where people aren’t reporting those gunshots.”