In just two short months, ShotSpotter has proven to be a vital part of the Pueblo Police Department’s (PPD) battle against gun violence. Since its rollout in February 2024, the ground-breaking technology has delivered tangible results. These include quicker response times, enhanced investigative capabilities, the recovery of illegal firearms, and most notably, lives saved.
Since its deployment, ShotSpotter has detected 321 gunfire incidents which have led to the assignment of 114 case numbers—a marked investigative impact of around 36%. Of the 321 alerts, only 27% were called in to 9-1-1 by citizens, a fact that underscores ShotSpotter’s effectiveness in identifying incidents that would otherwise go unnoticed. In nine critical instances, ShotSpotter’s near real-time alerts got officers to crime scenes with time to administer lifesaving first aid to gunshot victims. These timely responses prevented fatalities, showcasing ShotSpotter’s pivotal role in saving lives.
9
instances when officers rendered lifesaving aid
1333
individual
shots detected
687
shell casings
recovered
ShotSpotter has also helped streamline the PPD’s evidence collection process. Since February, across 321 gunfire incidents, ShotSpotter has detected 1333 individual shots and officers have located and recovered 687 shell casings, approximately 51%. These casings were then submitted to NIBIN for investigation, which proved instrumental in accelerating investigative efforts. In particular, shell casings retrieved from two separate ShotSpotter alerts have established connections to previous weapons offenses and have generated leads for seven new cases.
As Sergeant Franklyn Ortega from the Community Services Division of the PPD notes: “These results are encouraging as we are able to better address violent crime in our community with the help of this much needed technology.”