GUNSHOTLOCATING AND SHOTSPOTTER PARTNER TO HELP REDUCE GUN CRIME IN THE UK
Gunfire Identification and Location Technology to be Made Available to UK Police Forces for the First Time
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — June 24, 2008 — GunShotLocating Ltd. has today announced that it has won a contract with US-based ShotSpotter to sell its innovative Gunshot Location System® (GLS). The system, already deployed in 29 cities throughout the US, uses patented technology to immediately detect and identify gunfire across a wide area.
The system benefits police forces by allowing them to respond to gun-related incidents in a reduced timeframe as well as generating in-depth forensic data for use in detection. By knowing the precise location and nature of a gunshot even before the first 999 call is received, police forces can respond rapidly and confidently, increasing the chances of arrest and potentially saving the lives of victims.
Additionally, the ShotSpotter system has the ability to interact with existing camera surveillance or CCTV systems. This provides police forces with reliable forensic evidence in situations where there are no witnesses, or where witnesses are unwilling to come forward.
In addition to helping combat gun crime, the system is also beneficial in understanding the true extent of gun crime in affected areas. For many reasons, including fear of retribution, not all incidents of gunfire are reported by the public. In one US city alone, the system detected 80 percent more gunshots than was reported by members of the public following deployment of the ShotSpotter system.
ShotSpotter’s GLS has met with much success in the US where is has been proven to reduce gunfire rates in the cities deploying the solution. ShotSpotter’s alliance with GunShotLocating, Ltd. marks the entry of the ShotSpotter GLS as an available gun crime reduction and violent crime awareness solution for European law enforcement agencies.
Gregg Rowland, senior vice president at ShotSpotter commented: “With gun crime remaining at an unacceptable high – there were 9,608 recorded firearm offences in England and Wales alone in 2006-07, it is clear that there is a great need for GLS. Given the successes achieved by U.S. local, state and federal agencies already using the ShotSpotter GLS, we are confident that European public safety agencies will employ our gun crime reduction and wide area situational awareness tool to great benefit, experiencing the same increase in community safety, awareness and participation, gun fire rate reductions and increased prosecutions as their US counterparts."
Geoff Locke, Director of Sales of GunShotLocating, commented: “This alliance is a natural one for GunShotLocating. We are enthusiastic about representing ShotSpotter’s proven solutions and are confident that we can now offer a completely integrated system. Our goal is to help ShotSpotter become a leading provider across Europe.”
Notes to editors:
1. Further information/interviews/photos available. Contact Geoff Locke 07702
259721 e-mail info@gunshotlocating.co.uk
2. ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System® utilises the principle of acoustic triangulation to locate gunfire across wide areas. The 29 US cities already using it include Washington DC, Chicago and San Francisco. It was first developed in 1994.
3. Latest England and Wales figures (2006/7) show that in addition to the 61 murders, there were 3,891 firearm robberies. Handguns were used in 4,144 offences; shotguns were used in 608 offences. 413 firearm offences resulted in serious injury with 2,528 other injuries.
4. ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System® is a registered trademark of ShotSpotter, Inc.
About GunShotLocating Ltd
GunShotLocating Ltd is based near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, and founded in order to deliver additional, technical solutions to reducing gun crime in Europe. GunShotLocating hopes to illustrate how integrating Shotspotter technologies into the law enforcement framework will not only reduce the incidents of gunfire but will be a valuable tool in the fight against terrorism.
About ShotSpotter, Inc. (www.shotspotter.com)
ShotSpotter is an industry leader in the development of innovative, interoperable net-centric gunshot, sniper-detection and location systems for the law enforcement and military markets. The company’s focus on ingenuity and technological vision drives its continuing mission to create invaluable solutions that reduce gunfire and gun violence while improving the safety of first responders on the street and soldiers on the front. Currently, the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System® protects many cities nationwide, consistently producing arrests and weapons confiscations. Its individually worn sniper detection and location system identifies and tracks friendly military forces, providing dismounted forces with real-time situational awareness (SA) to aid in maneuvers, reduce fratricide, add to a mission’s common operating picture, and support after-action review. Information about ShotSpotter can be found at www.shotspotter.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://www.shotspotter.com/news/index.html
For more information, please contact
Kirsty Hobson
GunShotLocating Ltd
info@gunshotlocating.co.uk
Laura M. Geary
Director, Marketing
ShotSpotter, Inc.
Toll Free +1 (888) 274-6877 x248
Direct +1 (408) 329-9200 x248
laura@shotspotter.com
Gregg Rowland
Senior VP, Sales and Marketing
ShotSpotter, Inc.
Toll Free +1 (888) 274-6877 x219
Direct +1 (562) 650-2673
gregg@shotspotter.com |
