Did you know in some major US cities up to 80% of gun shots are not reported to the police?!?!?
Almost 75 percent of shots detected by the acoustic sensors spread around the Bronx and Brooklyn don’t have corresponding 911 calls, an NYPD spokesman said in 2015.
So why not?
Some suggest that it’s because sometimes citizens don’t recognize the sound as gunfire. Okay, maybe that’s the case some of the time, but I think it’s other things like…
3 Other Reasons
1. Part of it may be the so-called “snitch factor”. People simply don’t want to risk the criminals finding out they are the ones who called the police.
2. Others who may have heard gunshots don’t bother to call because of what some call a “gunshot fatigue effect”. In other words it’s just so common, why call? And that’s part of what plays into what I think is a big reason. Reason number 3.
3. I think part of it is because you gotta’ really ask, “What are the police gonna’ do?” I had this experience once…
I witnesses a shoot-out between two guys at a corner store where the corner boys hung out and sold dope all day and night. Every dove for cover or ran, but I was the only one who called the cops!
Since no one was hit, the police arrived (lights and sirens wailing, of course), found no one around and cleared the scene. I mean, really what else could they have done? No victim, no crime.
So here’s the thing… If you are working an investigation and you simply run a computer search and see no police reports of a shooting, that does NOT mean there was no shooting! You have to leave your office and talk to people! See if anyone around remembers hearing shots fired. Ya’ gotta’ investigate!
BONUS TIP: Sometimes the only “official” record of a shooting comes the next day (or later) when a resident finds a bullet hole in their house or car. So the tip is, keep your eyes open for property damage reports or vandalism reports as well!
Finally, a bonus tip just for my blog readers… When you hear on the news that someone “shot into a house”, just know it’s not always because the house was targeted. That’s important to know! Sometimes (MANY times) a house will be shot into because the bullet missed it intended target!
Stay safe,
Larry Kaye, P.I.
P.S. – Don’t miss my special report titled… If You Want To be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things. You can get it on the home page of my blog.