New program launching in Mobile to aid areas seeing higher gun violence

MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — The effort to reduce gun violence in Mobile is growing as Operation Echo Stop gets ready to launch a new program that will work alongside ShotSpotter.

The ShotSpotter technology is located in different neighborhoods across the Port City detecting gun fire and that information is then shared with law enforcement.

The program, 'Data for Good' is a community-focused program that will share precise data about where and when gun violence occurs in our area so non-law enforcement groups can provide prompt interventions to folks in need of services and support.

"We will provide them with dashboards and heat maps of where gun violence is happening most, and they can use that information and data about where their particular student, patients, or clients live so that they know who may be potentially traumatized by the gun violence," ShotSpotter Director of Community Impact and Engagement Gerard Tate said.

Tate said this program is more about reaching out to those who may feel like gun violence in their neighborhood is normal or that there's nothing they can do about it. Mobile Police Commander, Kurtis Graves, said this program will help identify some of those root causes.

"We want people in all zip codes to know that law enforcement is here to serve them and we understand that they're dealing with a lot of different complex issues. Some feel like they're in prison in their own homes if we're going to be honest about it, and we know that," Graves said.

This also goes for the kids who are going back to school the next day, traumatized, but have no outlet and possibly experiencing some adverse effects.

"Which of the kids, there's a lot of children in the schools right, there's a lot of children in neighborhoods," Tate said. "Not all of them are being disproportionally affected by gunfire and not all of them will respond the same."

Which is where Tate said this' Data for Good' program will come in play.

So what organizations in Mobile will have access to this? Well, discussions are happening now they've been in the works for awhile but this could mean hospitals, schools, churches, and so forth will be able to work alongside police in a way, providing those outreach services. Ones' personal data would not, but as far as gun fire and where it's happening, that data will be accessible.

ShotSpotter Press Release:

ShotSpotter, Inc., a leader in precision policing technology solutions that enable law enforcement to more effectively respond to, investigate, and deter crime, announced today the launch of Data for Good, a community-focused program that shares precision data about where and when gun violence occurs so non-law enforcement organizations can provide prompt interventions to residents in need of services and support. With timely and accurate gunfire location data, community violence intervention groups, social services, mental health professionals and many other community organizations can better direct their resources to prevent future violence, address root causes, and provide assistance to those adversely impacted by exposure to persistent gun violence.

According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, survivors of firearm injury have a 51% increase in psychiatric disorders and an 85% increase in substance use disorders. Individuals exposed to ongoing gunfire incidents can experience PTSD-like symptoms and require immediate follow-up. Local and national organizations in communities across the country help to address this problem through a variety of means, including violence intervention and prevention, counseling and economic assistance.

ShotSpotter’s Data for Good program helps law enforcement customers identify offices of violence prevention, schools, city and county public health departments and other community organizations that would receive gunfire data and analytics including heat maps and dashboards. These tools indicate where gunfire and potential trauma may be occurring so the appropriate community resources can be deployed to offer immediate and lasting support and help address the core issues that drive crime.

“ShotSpotter technology is known as a tool for helping law enforcement save lives and improve the safety of communities we serve nationwide. I’m excited to now share that our Data for Good program will extend this positive impact more deeply into violence prevention and community assistance work,” said Ralph A. Clark, President and CEO of ShotSpotter. “We hope to see this grow from the handful of community organizations that currently utilize ShotSpotter gunfire data to hundreds of partners across the country that deploy their social, health and economic resources to the right places at the right times in order to help prevent violence.”

Walking One Stop has been using ShotSpotter data since July 2019 to determine where to dispatch their violence intervention and social support teams in Miami-Dade County, Florida to assess and address the needs of residents in at-risk and underserved areas. It often includes the local workforce development mobile unit where residents receive on-the-spot assistance with employment and vocational training. “This is the best example of collective efficacy I’ve ever seen,” said Wayne Rawlins, founder of Walking One Stop. “It’s law enforcement walking in lockstep with community members, going right to the doorstep of the homes that have been impacted by gun and gang violence and providing resources thanks to ShotSpotter pinpointing where to send us.”

The Mobile Police Department spearheads Operation Echo Stop that brings together law enforcement, the community and civic leaders across the city to reduce gun violence. The group partners with ShotSpotter to provide data that supports their victim services, family intervention outreach, and engagement activities. “ShotSpotter brings stakeholders from various community groups together in real time with task assignments and information sharing to address the social, psychiatric, educational, spiritual and physical health of individuals effected by the trauma of gun violence in our community,” said Dr. Cindy Gibson, Associate Director for Crisis Services, AltaPointe Health and Associate Professor, South Alabama Department of Psychiatry.

The Baton Rouge Police Department shares ShotSpotter data with faith-based community organizations, violence interrupters, and other nonprofits. Sharing ShotSpotter data informs where to direct timely interventions and necessary resources to keep the community safe. “Gun violence is a community issue, not a police issue. So we’re taking that same data and pushing it to our service providers. And for anyone else who is involved in dealing with the root causes of crime, we’re willing to share that data with them as well,” said Police Chief Murphy Paul of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

To learn more about how ShotSpotter assists community-based and civic programs, please visit our Data for Good page.