The NYPD is turning to a high-tech tool to stop gun violence: Shot Spotter, a technology that can track gunfire. The mayor and police commissioner unveiled the trial program on Monday.
Citing programs in cited Camden, New Jersey, and New Haven Connecticut, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the implementation of Shot Spotter could revolutionize policing in New York City. The city has installed 300 units across the Bronx and Brooklyn in precincts with the highest rates of shots fired.
The system triangulates the three sensors nearest to the gunfire to pinpoint the location where it occurred and then transmits that information to the NYPD Joint Operations Center. The mayor said police can respond faster to gunfire, increasing the chance of catching a shooter and recovering a gun.
Shot Spotter will be tied in with the NYPDs domain awareness system, which includes key data including cameras and license plate readers to give officers a comprehensive picture of the scene they are about to respond to.