The city has just announced a two-year, $1.5 million pilot program of the ShotSpotter’s gunshot detection systems, which will be installed on rooftops across the city. Within ten seconds, the sensors can triangulate the source of a gunshot sound within 2 feet, provided it wasn’t a false alert, like a firework. ShotSpotter offers:
The purpose of the system is to both detect and to deter gunfire activity, including drug-related and ‘celebratory’ gunfire that may terrorize communities or end in tragic deaths.
The city will not reveal where or just how many mics are being installed, but the system will cover up to 15 square miles. If the trial is successful, police commissioner Bill Bratton seems to be interested in investing more into the development of the acoustic sensors, like integrating them into the larger surveillance system of the city to activate cameras and, perhaps, deploy drones. How soon until he adjust these things to detect the sound of a spraycan? (Image: City Light Cap)
