The Surveillance Advisory Board held a special meeting on July 24, 2025, in Vallejo, California, to discuss the effectiveness of the Blue Hill Police Department's use of the Raven surveillance technology. The meeting focused on evaluating the impact of this technology on policing, particularly in relation to gunshot detection and response.

The discussion began with a board member questioning whether the police department had made any efforts to assess the effectiveness of the Raven system by comparing one year of data from its use against a baseline year prior to its implementation. The member emphasized the importance of gathering statistics on gunshot-related crimes to evaluate the technology's impact on policing effectiveness.

Another board member raised concerns about the metrics being used to measure the success of the Raven system. They pointed out that while the police department had presented positive outcomes, there was a lack of concrete data to support these claims. The discussion highlighted the challenges of quantifying the effectiveness of the technology, particularly due to unreported incidents of gunfire and the reactive nature of the tool.

The police department representatives acknowledged the difficulties in measuring success, noting that many gunshot incidents go unreported. They explained that the Raven system serves as a supplementary tool to existing policing methods, helping to locate victims and crime scenes. However, they admitted that quantifying the number of arrests directly resulting from the technology's use was complex.

As the meeting progressed, board members expressed a desire for clearer metrics to evaluate the program's effectiveness. They suggested that the police department provide a comprehensive list of criminal metrics used to assess all policing programs, not just the Raven system. This request aimed to establish a framework for understanding the overall impact of the technology on crime rates and police response.

In conclusion, the meeting underscored the need for a more structured approach to evaluating the Raven surveillance technology's effectiveness. Board members called for specific metrics and data to support claims of success, emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making as the city considers the future of the program. The police department was tasked with providing further information and metrics in future discussions to facilitate a clearer assessment of the technology's impact on public safety.