GO - 51005 - Shotspotter - Flex

SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 510.05 Page 1 of 2 510.05 SHOTSPOTTER FLEX 02-02-17 PURPOSE The purpose of this order is to establish guidelines for the use of the ShotSpotter Gunfire, Alert and Analysis Service (ShotSpotter Flex). POLICY It shall be the policy of the Sacramento Police Department to properly utilize ShotSpotter Flex to enhance the Department’s ability to respond to and investigate violent crimes involving illegal gunfire. PROCEDURE A. GENERAL 1. ShotSpotter Flex uses audio sensors placed in selected areas to identify the location of gunfire. 2. ShotSpotter Flex recognizes and records gunfire within a geographical area and relays that information immediately to the Sacramento Police Department Commun ications Center , as well as all active field -based systems (Mobile Alert Consoles). Available officers in proximity to the location or within the district will immediately respond to the identified location. Based on the information from ShotSpotter Flex, a call will be entered into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. 3. ShotSpotter Flex provides an accessible audio recording of the incident to the Mobile Alert Console (patrol vehicle) and Investigative Portal (investigator’s desktop). 4. ShotSpotter Fle x is responsible for the storage of all audio recording and related information and will retain the information for a period of seven ( 7) years. 5. The area c aptain will designate a project s upervisor to oversee the installation and data collection of the Sho tSpotter Flex program. Information generated by the ShotSpotter Flex system will be tracked by the project supervisor for that area. 6. Shotspotter Flex incident reports and audio recordings shall not be released to the public, media, or other outside entity without the authorization of the captain of the Office of the Chief or higher authority. 7. Police personnel shall not provide to the public the location or description of the ShotSpotter sensors. B. COMMUNICATIONS CENTER RESPONSIBILITIES 1. ShotSpotter incidents shall be dispatched pursuant to G.O. 510.04 (Dispatching Sequence of Assignment). 2. The dispatcher entering the incident shall use the type code SHOTS, which shall classify the ShotSpotter incident as a Priority 2 call for service. 3. The dispatcher entering the call for service shall include a detailed location of the incident and the information captured by Shot Spotter Flex, which may include a. A single shooter firing a single round. b. A single shooter firing multiple rounds. c. The possibility of multiple shooters. d. The possibility of a mobile shooter(s) , along with the shooter’s speed and direction of travel. 4. Dispatchers receiving additional calls from citizens reporting sounds of shots fired shall not supplement the original ShotSpotter incident unless there is specific information pertinent to the dispatch of th e incident, which may include a. A confirmed shooting victim. b. A description of any involved subject(s). c. A description of any involved vehicles. SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 510.05 Page 2 of 2 d. Information about a disca rded weapon. 5. The radio dispatcher shall ensure any units who are already responding (i.e. self -dispatch) are assigned to the original ShotSpotter incident. 6. The radio dispatcher shall remain attentive to possible related calls for service in the vicinity of the ShotSpotter incident. a. Pertinent information provided by citizens shall be relayed to responding units. b. Duplicate calls shall be added to the original ShotSpotter incident. 7. Upon confirmation of an actual shooting , the radio dispatcher shall coordina te the response of additional units and medical aid if needed. C. OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES 1. When a ShotSpotter alert is received, available patrol units in proximity or th e same district as the incident shall respond to the location and advise dispatch over t he police radio that they are en route. 2. Responding officers shall treat the incident as a crime in progress and take a safe and strategic approach to the incident. 3. If equipped with a field -based system (Mobile Alert Console), officers shall review the aud io at the scene to assist in the investigation. 4. Responding officers shall complete a neighborhood canvass in the area of the activation. D. INVESTIGATIONS 1. Detectives assigned to Investigations shall have access to the Investigator Portal , which allows retrieval of data for up to seven ( 7) years. 2. District Attorney requests for forensic reports and additional information should be handled through the relevant investigative unit.