The City of Hagerstown is evaluating the acquisition of the Flock Safety Raven Early Warning Gunshot Detection System from SHI International Corp. for $21,013.42. The Raven system is designed to detect and distinguish gunfire from other noises, providing law enforcement with real-time alerts pinpointing the location of potential firearm incidents. By integrating with video surveillance, the system enhances investigative capabilities by identifying vehicles and other contextual data near shooting scenes.
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Insights from San José’s 2023 annual report on its gunshot detection technology provide a glimpse into the potential effectiveness and challenges associated with such systems. Over the course of the reporting period, the technology in San José underwent recalibration, which significantly improved its accuracy from less than 50% to around 80%. Of the 270 total detected gunshots during the reporting period, over 94% were incidents that would not have been reported to law enforcement through other means, such as 911 calls or officer observations. This indicates that gunshot detection systems can substantially increase situational awareness and response capacity for law enforcement agencies.
However, the report also identified areas for improvement. Before recalibration, the system experienced a higher rate of false positives—instances where the system mistakenly identified other noises as gunfire. After adjustments to its detection algorithms and confidence thresholds, the rate of false positives decreased significantly. The report also noted that while the system successfully detected many nearby gunshots, it failed to identify some incidents directly beneath detection devices due to environmental factors, such as crowded urban areas that can dampen sound. Additionally, the false negative rate—the number of gunshots the system failed to detect—was not fully quantified, though some gaps in detection were acknowledged.
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San José’s experience underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring, recalibration, and human verification to maximize the system’s effectiveness. Human review remains critical in confirming true gunfire incidents, reducing errors, and improving the reliability of the alerts. Lessons from San José highlight the need for law enforcement agencies adopting this technology to establish robust protocols for accuracy assessment and regular recalibration.
Hagerstown aims to enhance public safety by leveraging modern technology to detect and respond to gun-related incidents more effectively. If implemented, this system could improve the city’s ability to respond to firearm incidents quickly, provide critical data for investigations, and strengthen community safety measures. However, the challenges identified in other cities’ implementations, such as the need for periodic recalibration and the mitigation of detection gaps, serve as valuable lessons for maximizing the system’s success.
The proposal will be considered at tomorrow’s Mayor and Council meeting.
Associated documents for this story are available in our Public Information Archive.
Story by multiple RFHC contributors
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