Birmingham project to block out drive-by shootings in East Lake

WVTM 13 published a story on the value of ShotSpotter technology in Birmingham’s efforts to combat gun violence. Mayor Randall Woodfin revealed that ShotSpotter detected 2,164 gunshots in the East Lake neighborhood alone over the past year. “In a calendar year, 365 days, ShotSpotter detected that many shots in one neighborhood out of 99. That’s unacceptable.” In response, the city is launching a “Safe Streets Initiative,” to limit access to certain areas and deter drive-by shootings. Local resident Gloria Rodgers expressed hope for its success. “We are hoping, and we are praying that it will do some good in some way because we have too many young people losing their lives for nothing,” Rodgers said.