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Lancaster police outline ShotSpotter rollout, say sensors detect gunfire not conversations
Summary
Chief McClellan told council the department aims to bring ShotSpotter online by mid-December across about a two-square-mile area using roughly 54–56 sensors, and reiterated the department is pursuing CALEA accreditation with an on-site assessment next week.
Chief McClellan reported to the Lancaster City Council that the police department is in the final stages of deploying ShotSpotter acoustic sensors and is preparing for an on-site accreditation assessment.
"This technology pinpoints exactly where those gunshots are coming from," Chief McClellan said, describing a triangulation network that staff expect to cover roughly a two-square-mile area with about "54 to 56 sensors." He said the city is working with engineers from the vendor (identified in the meeting as Sound Thinking Incorporated) on site surveys and that installations and training should make the system fully operational around the middle of December.
McClellan emphasized the sensors detect impulsive sounds consistent with gunfire and are not audio-recording devices for conversations. When a councilor described the device as a "listening device," McClellan responded, "That is not — it detects the sound of gunshot. They wouldn't be able to hear you saying something." He told council the department pairs uniformed officers with engineers during site visits and is seeking voluntary access on private structures where placement is useful.
The chief also reviewed other department items: staffing has increased, the department has focused on "intelligence-led" property checks, and the Community Based Intervention Program (CBIP) is now fully staffed with a director and two community liaison officers. He said a CALEA assessor — identified in the presentation as Deputy Chief Vince Aline from Denver — will conduct an on-site assessment Dec. 1–3 and produce a report to CALEA that will determine accreditation eligibility; the accreditation award would occur at a conference next March.
Council members asked about privacy, placement on private property, training, and how ShotSpotter data will be integrated into investigations. The chief said placement is voluntary, that the system helps responders go to an exact location rather than rely on approximate reports, and that the technology will be a "resource multiplier" for patrol units.
The meeting record shows no formal policy change; councilors were briefed and asked for public education on the difference between these acoustic sensors and video cameras.
