Smart Policing Technology Implementation to address crime increases while developing a digital trust plan with community engagement plan prior to acquisition, data-driven and evaluated by academia.

The Tacoma Police Department (TPD) intends to implement and test technology that seeks to improve TPDs capacity to investigate gun crime. This Category 3 grant will provide technology to assist TPD identify, respond to, and investigate gun crime. The grant will fund the implementation and evaluation of three separate technologies intended to increase the capacity of TPD to investigate gun crime. First, funding will be used to implement and evaluate the utility of ShotSpotter technology to identify gunshots and to provide precise gunshot locations, with the goal of reducing response times, which will allow for improved investigations, including collection of shell casings and witness statements. Second, the grant will fund the implementation and evaluation of fingerprint technology with the capacity to analyze fingerprints collected from shell casings, with the goal of increasing the ability of TPD to identify suspects in shootings where casings are recovered. Third, the grant will also fund the replacement of a 3D laser scanner used to capture complete, accurate views of on-scene evidence and generate 360-degree views of the crime scene location, with the intention of improving evidence collection in gun crime cases. This proposed project is complementary to the TPD Violent Crime Reduction Plan the TPD is implementing to achieve an overall reduction in violent crime in the City of Tacoma.