ShotSpotter CEO on how gunshot-detection tech works, what he would tell Tacoma skeptics

Ralph Clark, SoundThinking CEO, sat down with The Tacoma News Tribune to discuss ShotSpotter. The technology is set to launch in Tacoma later this year thanks to an $800,000 federal grant, marking the system’s first deployment in Washington state. In the interview, Ralph explained how the sensor-based system detects and precisely locates gunshots, enabling a rapid police response to aid victims, apprehend shooters, and recover crucial evidence. While acknowledging concerns about over-policing, he emphasized ShotSpotter’s potential to help police serve communities equally. “Our technology is an equalizer to help police be able to provide a level of care and duty to these communities that are suffering from ongoing, chronic gunfire. In the process of doing so, when police are showing up in that way as guardians, ‘We’re here to protect you. We’re treating gun violence as a priority,'” he noted.