Youngstown ShotSpotters

The Congressionally Selected Awards Program, authorized by the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects selected by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-8, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 09 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY09 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

The City of Youngstown will use this grant to purchase the ShotSpotter system to minimize gunfire in their crime hot spots and ultimately improve the quality of life in these neighborhoods. The system will be installed in a two square mile radius of the most violent area in the city. The ShotSpotter system is a wide-area acoustic surveillance system used to detect, classify, locate, and alert the police to gunfire and other explosive events in real-time. The equipment will provide previously unattainable information about gun crime, and this information will ultimately lead to increased safety for responding officers and the community.

NCA/NCF