Neighbor Spotlight: Brian La Cour

When Brian La Cour moved into his North Austin home in 2001, he found a bullet casing lying in the driveway. He had no idea the shell would come to symbolize a personal mission to improve neighborhood safety, resulting in the country’s first Community Based Gunshot Alert System.

It is not uncommon for residents in Brian’s neighborhood—the North Austin Civic Association (NACA)—to hear what is referred to as “celebratory gunfire.” This type of gunfire is usually aimed into the air or at inanimate objects, and is both illegal within city limits and dangerous to people and property.

“I came in knowing this neighborhood had problems,” Brian says. “I joined NACA thinking we could actually do something and solve it.”

In the 24 years since Brian has been an active resident and volunteer with NACA, the neighborhood has undergone major improvements—in part due to the efforts of NACA and groups like the Rundberg Alliance.

But a frightening incident on New Year’s Eve 2024 sparked a renewed sense of urgency around addressing illegal gunfire in the area. Amidst the fireworks and celebrations, a stray bullet made its way into a neighbor’s home. “[My neighbor] found the bullet on her son’s floor, right next to his crib, and a hole in the ceiling,” Brian says. “This really motivated us into action. I wanted to do what I could to help her and people like her in the neighborhood."

One of the biggest challenges with celebratory gunfire is distinguishing it from other loud sounds, such as fireworks or car backfires, and identifying where the sound came from.

Brian’s tech background led him to believe a solution could lie in a localization sensor system that would differentiate between these sounds and pinpoint an exact location.

“I thought there must be a way of doing this without it being overly expensive,” he says. “I took it upon myself to do some research.”

That research led to countless hours of work—reviewing existing solutions (none of which met the neighborhood’s needs), consulting with Vanderbilt University experts who were developing new technology, meeting with neighbors and the association to explore options, talking with the Austin Police Department, and applying for funding from the National Science Foundation.After some ups and downs pertaining to funding, especially in light of public budget cuts, NACA and its partners at NACA were awarded a $700,000 grant to implement a first-of-its-kind Community-Based Gunshot Alert System. Brian says it is the only system in the country that will use sensors to triangulate the source of gunfire and give residents the option to report to law enforcement.

While the system may not prevent every tragedy, Brian says the true value lies in empowering residents. By confirming whether a sound is gunfire and guiding people through the reporting process with simple tools and scripts via a phone app, the system helps break down the uncertainty that often keeps neighbors from calling in incidents. It will also allow police to easily corroborate reports and—with enough sensors—pinpoint the exact address where the illegal gunfire emanated.

He makes sure to note that sensors will be placed on the exterior of residents’ homes on a volunteer basis, and that precise localization data will only be available to police. Residents will be able to see block-level data.

Brian says the project has gained support from both the neighborhood and the city, and credits its progress to the dedication of volunteers, partners, and community members.

“This is something that was very much community-driven,” he says. “Everyone was cheering us on so that was very helpful.”

NACA plans to begin testing the prototype in the Fall of 2025 and rolling out the system in the Spring of 2026. For more information on the Community-Based Gunshot Alert System, visit www.naca-austin.org/gunfire.