Page 60 - FOP March 2017 Newsletter

Adding to the Foundation
Chicago Police Foundation provides funding for crime-reduction technology
As part of an ongoing effort from the Chicago business community to provide additional resources and equip- ment to strengthen the Chicago Police Officers’ capabil- ities to better serve and protect the citizens of Chicago and enhance officer safety, the Chicago Police Founda- tion (CPF) is supporting a new initiative to reduce vio- lent crime through the expanded implementation of the ShotSpotter technology in two of the city’s high-crime ar- eas.
ShotSpotter, a mobile-based gunshot alerting system that pinpoints locations where shots have been fired, is designed to help improve police response times in these instances. The CPF will provide 130 smartphones to the police department for the expansion of the pilot program in the Englewood and Harrison Districts of the city.
“Providing supplemental funding for technology ad- vancements is a key area of focus within the Founda- tion’s overall mission,” said John C. Robak, Chair of the CPF Board of Directors. “The board is pleased to be able to help fund this police department initiative to effective- ly implement new technologies that can improve officer and public safety, enhance communication and ultimate- ly help build stronger community partnerships between the police and the public.”
ShotSpotter is a real-time GPS-equipped system that picks up sounds of gunshots fired. Using the system, offi-
cers will be able to look at a map on a smartphone and in- car computer to determine where a gunshot was fired. Of- ficers also can watch video in real-time with the software.
Deployment of ShotSpotter will enable officers to pin- point where shots came from, and reduce the five- to sev- en-minute lag time response that can result while waiting for the report of “shots fired” to be made. Getting to crime scenes more quickly and making more gun arrests report- edly will become more accessible with the new technol- ogy.
Through the CPF-sponsored initiative, police officers in the field will be equipped with smartphones that will provide real-time actionable alerts at their fingertips for better tactical decision making.
“I thank the Chicago Police Foundation for its ongoing efforts to support the Chicago Police Department with essential funding for this important data-driven enforce- ment technology that will help police officers reduce vi- olent crime and build public trust,” said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.
The Chicago Police Foundation is an independent non- profit organization led by various Chicago business lead- ers. The Foundation’s objectives include helping to im- prove the city’s public safety by supporting and funding programs that supplement resources, training and equip- ment for CPD officers. d
60 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2017