New tools are creating a solid pathway for communities and schools to take a proactive approach to gun violence. As gunshot detection advances, the security industry is pairing technology with outreach initiatives to encourage greater enlistment of these solutions.

Gunshot detection technology has evolved due to advancements in sensors, detectors, analytics and automation. Coverage areas have expanded and false alarms have been reduced in indoor, outdoor, noisy and harsh environments. Analytics provide real-time data and mapping information for faster response and enhanced situational awareness. Gunshot detection now pairs and integrates readily with video surveillance, video management systems, access control and other building security systems.

The role of technology

Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), Rowley, Mass., an Alarm.com company, introduced a campaign at CES 2024 called #TakeAction to empower individuals to make their schools, workplaces and communities safer through education about technology’s role in maintaining safe spaces. The campaign provides tools, resources and support for consumers to advocate for gunshot detection to their school or workplace leaders.

Rich Onofrio, the company’s chief technology officer, said the campaign puts decision-making in the hands of people who need it.

“Schools need to take actions for themselves and help convince facility managers about technology to get it more widely deployed,” Onofrio said.

The #TakeAction initiative aids in navigating and monitoring grants and finding the most competitive funding. SDS also has a philanthropic endeavor called SecureGrants, a grant assessment and support program provided free to qualified institutions.

Onofrio said the cost of gunshot detection technology, once a potential obstacle, has dropped considerably, while solutions operate more reliably even in harsh spaces. 

“Responders know immediately that a gun has been fired and in what area of the building the shot occurred. By combining dual-mode acoustic detection and infrared flash detection with proprietary detection algorithms, SDS’ Active Shooter Intelligence detects, verifies and validates a gunshot with 99.9% accuracy and virtually zero false alarms,” he said.

SDS Indoor Gunshot Detection enables the communication of critical incident details within 10 seconds to 911 to alert law enforcement, as well as individuals at the scene, using ResponderLink, a software-embedded integration with SDS sister company Noonlight, Austin, Texas. SDS software alerts are intercepted by trained agents at Noonlight who provide a live URL dashboard of incident information to the 911 operator, including continuous status updates, such as where the latest shots were fired.

Outdoor detection

Shot detection technology has expanded outdoors. One example is Mountain View, Calif.-based Knightscope Inc.’s Automated Gunshot Detection, which works indoors and outdoors and provides horizontal and vertical detection that generates valuable point of origin data. According to Stacy Stephens, the company’s executive vice president and chief client officer, the company works with manufacturers such as Sim-X Tactical Solutions Inc., Ogden, Utah, to stay ahead of trends in ammunition technology so its solution can capture data from the latest products and ensure real-time detection as new products come to market.

“The public safety and security industries have been increasingly deploying gunshot detection since the early 2000s,” Stephens said. 

The commercial security industry has been keeping an eye on the technology but had been hesitant in the past to enter the market due to cost and false alarms, he said.

“In addition, most technologies on the market were designed for indoor use, yet security teams have a duty to protect all areas of a property, both indoors and outdoors. Considering that most shootings take place outside, the reasonableness of deploying an indoor-only technology is reduced,” Stephens said.

Getting buy-in from stakeholders

Today, gunshot detection technologies have evolved through years of operational use.

“The technology is unparalleled with effectively a zero false alarm rate, immediate notification and extremely high reliability,” he said.

Stephens said he concurs with recommendations on the technology’s implementation cited by the Urban Institute, which includes better engagement with stakeholders and community members, clear policies and procedures before implementation, training and optimizing installations by including sensors in areas with a high concentration of gun violence.

“Automated gunshot detection is appropriate for all types of commercial properties and public spaces as it has very few restrictions on placement, and the ease and cost of installation make it affordable and obtainable for a larger number of end users,” he said.

Header image: Shooter Detection Systems’ mapping applications and mobile notification interface

Shooter Detection Systems