Durham Reporter

ShotSpotter technology failed to notify police about a mass shooting on Jan. 1, though the city of Durham had used it for approximately two weeks.

City officials defended the system; they said it is not designed to pick up that specific type of shooting, according to WRAL. The mass shooting involved a car driving through the city. The victims range from age 17 to 24 and all are expected to survive. Members of the Durham Police Department said the drive-by shooting did not appear to be random.

"If it was indeed a drive-by shooting, the [ShotSpotter] technology is not designed to pick up acoustical signatures from inside a vehicle or a building," Mark-Anthony Middleton, mayor pro tem of Durham, said. "And if you combine a vehicle, and moving as well, the sensors aren't really designed or attenuated to pick up those type [sic] of incidents."

The ShotSpotter technology is designed to detect gunshots, WRAL reported. The shooting on North Miami Boulevard occurred within the area covered by the system. 

"However, my understanding is that there wasn't a corresponding ShotSpotter report," Middleton said.

He said the technology is working as expected, despite the recent glitch, according to WRAL. He said he has seen anecdotal evidence to that effect. He also emphasized that ShotSpotter is just one tool in the city's fight to curtail violence.

"I believe that we're finally putting the pieces in place where we can look our people in the eye and have the moral authority to say we are literally trying everything in our power," Middleton said. "But, there's still more work to be done."

Durham officials decided to install ShotSpotter technology as part of an effort to reduce the crime rate, especially among teens and young adults, WRAL reported.

"I think there are literally hundreds of people in Durham County who want to see that change," Satana Deberry, Durham's district attorney, said. She was recently sworn into office after being re-elected. 

Deberry said the district attorney's office gets involved in the justice process after a crime has been committed, but it still plays a role in the community.

"What our commitment to do is to be good community partners, making sure the most vulnerable people in our community are safe," Deberry said. "Whether that means being involved with diversion programs so that people are not involved with the criminal justice system to begin with, and have the opportunities for school and jobs, that's what we’re committed to do."