SOUTH BEND â Saying it will improve crime prevention and accountability, the South Bend Police Department is considering upgrading its crime analysis software via a partnership with the company that currently provides the city with gunshot detection technology.
Police say the new system, called ShotSpotter Connect, would use historic crime data in addition to other factors, such as population density, weather and the proximity to liquor stores or bars, to create an algorithm showing risk areas in the city.
The risk areas are coded for different types of crime, from shootings to non-violent offenses, and will allow supervisors to assign patrols to on-duty officers more effectively, as the system would show not only where risk areas exist, but also when crime in those areas is most likely to take place, said South Bend Police Capt. Dan Skibins.