MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Board of Control on Thursday morning approved the city’s acceptance of a grant to fund ShotSpotter technology in a one-square mile area for a year.
Mayor Tim Theaker, Safety-Service Director Lori Cope and Susan Johnson from the finance department all voted in favor of the testing and evaluation project, which was introduced by police Chief Keith Porch.
“If the technology is successful and works for us, we will continue to try to locate grant funding and/or private donations to allow us to continue with the project,” Porch said.
(Click here for a video showing how ShotSpotter works.)
“(ShotSpotter) advised us for a city our size we should have three square miles to coverage due to our ‘shots fired’ and firearm incidents,” the chief said.
ShotSpotter is using advancing technology, developed over the last two decades, that is now being used in about 100 cities across the country, including four in Ohio.
The grant will allow the city to deploy the technology, which places acoustic sensors on buildings and light poles, over a one-square mile area of of the city’s 31-square mile area for that 12-month period.
The sounds of the shots are triangulated by the sensors, allowing the precise location to be determined. The technology is sophisticated enough to tell the difference between a gunshot and fireworks/other sounds, according to Porch.
Porch told Richland Source on Wednesday that his department worked with the company to select the coverage area, which he said had the most reports of shots fired and other gun incidents.
While he declined to offer the specific location, the chief said it would be used in an area roughly from Glessner Avenue to Bowman Street.
The the Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium awarded the city a $47,500 grant to create a one-year test and evaluation of the technology in Mansfield. The city will use $2,000 from funds seized in criminal investigations to cover the remainder of the $49,500 project.
No city funds will be used in the effort, according to Porch, who said he and his department leaders visited with Toledo police to observe the system in action.
“We are getting a price break at a city our size,” Porch said. “It’s normally $79,500 per square mile. In Toledo, they have four square miles of coverage … and that’s an annual payment.”
Porch said his department is working to write policies about usage of the system and he hopes to have it operational in the city in the next month or so.
Since the grant is under $50,000, Mansfield City Council approval is not required.
Theaker said, “I am looking forward to (this technology.) I am certain City Council will want to see some kind of presentation at the next meeting or two.”
