New “Shaw ShotSpotter” Actually Covers Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant, U Street, and Shaw

Last week, Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans sent out a press release about the installment—in Shaw—of new ShotSpotter sensors, which can pinpoint the origin of gunshots by picking up their sound.

I blogged about the news. One disbelieving commenter wrote in, with a very reasonable question: “Is it really here this time?”

Well, Capt. Michael Eldridge, who is overseeing the ShotSpotter technology, insists the sensors are up and running, though he refused to tell me where they are located, for good reason. (Every time I think about this, I see, flashing in my head, the opening credits of HBO’s The Wire—you know, the part where the kids throw the rock at the security camera.)

So, according to Eldridge, the “Shaw ShotSpotter” will cover: north on 10th Street from New York Avenue, west on S Street to 16th Street, north again on 16th Street. The system does cover Kalorama Road, the 17th and Euclid Area, and continuing north on 16th Street, west on Spring Road and Rock Creek Church Road, south on 2nd Street, to New York Avenue.

Check out a map. That’s a big, big area (significant chunks of Liquorridor and Land of the Loft, in CP terminology.)

ShotSpotter’s coverage area is expanding significantly within the next few months, as the Washington Post originally reported.

The initial pilot area covered 10 square miles in D.C. By September, ShotSpotter will cover close to 17 miles, says Eldridge. The cost of this entire expansion is $1.6 million. The other geographic areas to be covered haven’t been announced yet, says Eldridge. Police are choosing the areas based on a combination of real crime data and calls for service. (So, in other words: If you hear gunshots in your area, and you think, Eh, what the hell, I’m totally fine. I’m not going to call, maybe you should reconsider if you want ShotSpotter.)

(Also, don’t bring guns into the Gap. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself: When I found this image, I had to post it.)