(Jan. 17) -- Staff with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, along with city staff and officials with Sikeston BMU and Sikeston Public Schools, took part in an executive kickoff briefing for the new ShotSpotter program Wednesday afternoon.

The ShotSpotter program, through SoundThinking, is a gunshot detection program that enables rapid response to gunfire, 80% of which is not reported to 911.

With ShotSpotter, unsuppressed outdoor gunfire, above .25 caliber, is fired within the target area, the sound is detected by a microphone that is mounted in various locations in Sikeston. An alert is then sent to the gunshot detection operations center for review and verification. Once the gunshot is verified, an alert is sent to Sikeston DPS communications, the officers data terminal, and their smart phone, if desired.

The alert consists of a pin drop location on Google Maps with the exact location, the number of shots fired and a recording of the gunshots, sent to officers in less than 60 seconds. Officers are then able to respond to the exact location where the gunshots were fired.

ShotSpotter covers approximately 2.1 square miles in Sikeston and the program has 90% accuracy within 82 feet of the shot, allowing officers to find victims and evidence quickly.

Sikeston DPS officers are scheduled for training with the ShotSpotter program in late February with the hopes of launching the program in March.

The cost of the service is $99,000 per year and a BJA FY23 Rural and Small Department Violent Crime Reduction Grant will cover the cost of the program for three years. There is no financial obligation to continue with the ShotSpotter technology or program after three years. The cost covers installation, monitoring, data analysis as well as expert court room testimony in relation to violent gun crime.