Why ShotSpotter and social initiatives are both vital for tackling gang violence in Cape Town

In response to Grant Oosterwyk’s comments on the ShotSpotter technology (Weekend Argus, Saturday, 11 October) - the argument is not new, but it is flawed.

It isn’t ShotSpotter or social intervention programmes, as Mr Oosterwyk frames it - the City is investing in both. By example - ShotSpotter is deployed in Manenberg, where the City also recently invested R20 million to upgrade the Greens sports facility and continues to invest in a wide range of social initiatives.

The technology is one tool in a broader toolbox including proactive policing, crime prevention technologies, social development programmes, infrastructure investments, job opportunities and learnerships.

ShotSpotter allows a more effective response to gunfire, which is chronically under-reported in affected communities. It maps hotspots for proactive patrols, and data can be layered with other intelligence to inform targeted crime prevention and guide social investment decisions.

In the past three months, the City recorded 816 shooting incidents across the four ShotSpotter areas. These are geolocated, date-stamped, and heat mapped; data that helped our enforcement officers confiscate 17 illegal firearms, five imitation firearms, and 329 rounds of ammunition.

This is invaluable information. You cannot fix what you cannot measure; something often overlooked by commentators. It is also worth remembering that the City only invests in this kind of technology because of the chronic mismanagement of SAPS. If policing functioned effectively, the City could focus solely on its constitutional mandate instead of being forced to step in where National Government fails.

Finally, the claim that frontline officers do not understand the technology is an affront to the brave officers who run toward active gunfire daily. SAPS members have publicly credited ShotSpotter for successful firearm arrests. The service provider has provided SAPS with access and training, and the City conducts daily joint ShotSpotter deployments with them.

In a country plagued by gun violence and police mismanagement, it is telling that such a relatively modest investment in technology designed to save lives attracts so much criticism, often from those who ignore the broader picture.

JP Smith

Mayoral Committee Member

City of Cape Town