Untitled

Summary

The City Council of Fayetteville, NC, conducted a data review of ShotSpotter effectiveness, examining 18 months of activity across three designated coverage zones. The review found that ShotSpotter improves the speed and precision of police response, with officers being dispatched 2 minutes faster for ShotSpotter alerts than for 911 calls alone. However, the technology does not translate into meaningfully higher arrest rates, evidence recovery, or victim outcomes when deployed without a companion 911 call. The key productivity gains come from the combination of ShotSpotter alerts and 911 calls.

Details

Subject

ShotSpotter Program Evaluation

Summary

The City Council of Fayetteville, NC, conducted a data review of ShotSpotter effectiveness, examining 18 months of activity across three designated coverage zones. The review found that ShotSpotter improves the speed and precision of police response, with officers being dispatched 2 minutes faster for ShotSpotter alerts than for 911 calls alone. However, the technology does not translate into meaningfully higher arrest rates, evidence recovery, or victim outcomes when deployed without a companion 911 call. The key productivity gains come from the combination of ShotSpotter alerts and 911 calls.

Report Date

2026-04

Report Type

evaluation

Report Title

Executive Summary — Wilson Center’s ShotSpotter Program Evaluation

Authoring Body

Office of Strategic Performance & Analytics (SPA) | Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) | Office of Special Projects | Office of Community Safety (OCS) | SoundThinking (ShotSpotter)

Reporting Period

18 months