Preserve funding to detect Oakland gunfire: Letter to the editor

The City Council meets next week to approve Oakland’s budget. For over a decade, Oakland has used acoustic gunshot detection called ShotSpotter – dispatching police and paramedics without a 911 call. I’m proud to be CEO of SoundThinking, which provides this service. It has been a critical tool for first responders because of its precision in response times, evidence collection and saving lives.

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From 2022 to 2023, more than 380 lives were saved because of this technology — gunshot victims found from the alert despite no 911 call.

Some have asked the City to cut the service, which would be dangerous. Less than 20% of gunfire is reported by 911. This is where ShotSpotter steps in. We don’t want to return to the days when our police don’t know when — and exactly where — gunfire is occurring.

We hope the City Council will recognize the life-saving value of this service and preserve its funding.

Ralph A. Clark
Oakland