On Tuesday night, a man was shot in the face at Bayview car tire/stereo shop Beyond Street Performance at 2110 Palou Avenue. While SF Examiner claims that "[a] gunshot-locating system led police to a man," they go on to point out that "[t]wo people nearby also called about hearing the shots" as well.

John Thomas, an angry SF Examiner commenter fumes:

Why does this article say ShotSpotter led the police to the gunshot victim? TWO PEOPLE called it in to police dispatch. ShotSpotter is a waste of tax money and has never provided the least bit of value. It is technology trying to do "people" work. Dump Shotspotter and forge real bonds with the communities. Build bridges with PEOPLE in our neighborhoods. That is how you catch bad guys. The guy who originally wanted Shotspotter in SF, Police Commsr Chan, has moved on. Dump Shotspotter and go back to what has worked in the past. People helping people. The police and the people in the neighborhoods working together. It takes a lot more work and leadership than putting up a sound meter on a pole outside the projects. Just my opinion, of course.

At the same time, however, the NY Times gives the gunshot-locating system a semi-thumbs up, even though the system does have a tendency to confuse firecrackers, backfiring cars, nail guns, and construction site sounds with gunshots. Still, seeing as how the Bay Area has seen a spike in crime as of late, we could probably use all the help we can get -- technological or otherwise.