ShotSpotter Helps Make Arrests, Recover Firearms, at Western Addition Shooting

While the below update is a few weeks old, I’d like to share it with you, as it illustrates the effectiveness of the ShotSpotter system. ShotSpotter near instantaneously alerts officers on incidents of gunfire, allowing them to arrive minutes faster than by way of citizen reporting (assuming that there is a corresponding 911 call). Because the system dramatically improves response time, it often allows officers, as in the below case, to make critical arrests and recover dangerous weapons. My office, as directed by the Mayor, and in cooperation with the Police Department and Board of Supervisors, has rolled out ShotSpotter in select sections of the Bayview, Western Addition and Mission. We continue to monitor the succesess of this program, with the hopes of expanding coverage to other parts of the city. Of note, ShotSpotter is part of a larger Technology-Informed Policing (TIP) iniative by the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. Critical to the success of this program to-date, has been the hard work and leadership of Lt. Mikail Ali, who serves as Senior Public Safety Advisor to both Mayor Newsom and my office.

1/08/09, 1:25PM - Police officers detained three suspects in a gang-related shooting at Golden Gate and Fillmore. The shooting occurred following a funeral service for a recent homicide victim. The suspects fired into the procession of mourners as they were leaving the funeral home. The suspects were San Francisco residents, male, ages 21, 21 and 20. The gunfire was immediately detected by the ShotSpotter system and nearby plainclothes units, comprised of members of both Northern Station and Gang Task Force, quickly apprehended the suspects. No one was struck by the gunfire. Police recovered a Tech 9 assault weapon.

KVR

Sex Offender Awareness

The following two arrests illustrate a very real concern – not only here in San Francisco, but across California. There are, according to the Police Department, some 1,143 registered sex offenders within the City and County of San Francisco. Many of these individuals, having completed their sentences, are not under the supervision of either the California Department of Corrections or the Adult Probation Department. According to the Department of Corrections, there are more than 63,000 persons required to be registered as sex offenders in California. If you would like more information on this topic, please see the Department of Justice's Megan’s Law homepage and/or all relevant sections of California Penal Code Section 290, otherwise known as the Sex Offender Registration Act.

To be clear, Megan’s Law is not intended to punish the offender and specifically prohibits using the information to harass or commit any crime against an offender.

Northern Station Station - Captain Croce Casciato
2/02/09, 1:30 PM - Officers Lee and Cheung were dispatched to Lombard and Van Ness, to check on the welfare of an individual who had apparently passed out. The officers located and contacted the subject, who they determined to be under the influence of alcohol. When the officers ran a computer check on the subject, they discovered that he had failed to register as a sex offender. The subject was arrested.

2/02/09, 7:45 PM - Officers from Northern Station’s Street Crimes Unit, in the area of Hayes Valley North, heard a subject arguing with a woman. They subsequently observed the woman attempt to shut a door. The officers detained the subject, who appeared to be intoxicated, and whose clothing smelled like marijuana. The subject told the officers he had marijuana in his pocket and during a subsequent search, the officers located the marijuana, as well as suspected cocaine. After being arrested, the subject was transported to the station, where the officers used a mug shot machine to positively identify him (he had given a false name). The officers discovered that the man had a “No Bail" warrant for his arrest. They also discovered that he was on active Federal probation and had failed to update his status and location as a sex registrant.