Homestead extends gunfire‑detection contract and accepts multiple law‑enforcement grants

The council on Wednesday approved a contract amendment with SoundThinking (formerly ShotSpotter) for continued gunfire‑detection service and accepted multiple state and federal public‑safety grants, including a $3.25 million COPS hiring grant.

A police representative said the acoustic detection system triangulates likely shot locations and has yielded deployments where no 911 call had been received. "It's an emerging technology for law enforcement altogether," the chief said, noting the value of getting officers to scenes where victims might otherwise go unreported.

Council members questioned cost‑effectiveness and whether partnering with Miami‑Dade County or sharing existing coverage could reduce price. The police chief and other staff acknowledged false positives are possible but argued the public‑safety benefits outweigh extra dispatches. "I'd rather get more calls and be false alarms than not get dispatched on something that you didn't classify as a potential gunshot," the chief said.

Separately, the council unanimously accepted several grants: a Department of Justice COPS hiring grant for $3,250,000 to fund law‑enforcement positions and smaller FDLE/FDOT enforcement grants. The votes were recorded by roll call.