A Criterion Validity Study Of Individuals' Reports of Gunfire And Recorded Gunfire

The focus of this study was the validation of people's reports of gunfire in two inner city neighborhoods in the Southeast. A survey design was used in which 342 people were interviewed by telephone. An ARIMA analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between people's gunfire reports and 58 days of ShotSpotter recordings. The results indicated that the percentage of residents reporting the presence of gunfire was a valid predictor of night gunfire. However, residents' reports of the actual number of gunshots did not appear valid. Reports of gunfire did not appear to have a statistically significant correlation with 911 gunfire calls. Residents (96.7%) indicated that gunfire had bothered their sleep. People's reports of gunfire appear to be one indicator of community violence.