Police Sound Out Gunfire’s Source

Bullets fired up in the air during holiday celebrations have caused fatalities in New Orleans, Kansas City, Detroit, Philadelphia, Missouri, and California. Bullets can reach speeds of 200 to 500 mph during their descent, which is sufficient to kill.

Police jurisdictions in certain parts of California, Arizona, and South Carolina deployed gunshot detectors to determine the location from which shots were fired.

Gunshot detectors are based on technology used in acoustical earthquake detection equipment and allow police to arrive at a shooting scene within minutes–if the shot is heard by at least three sensors.

Phoenix police officials installed a new ShotSpotter system to discourage celebratory gunfire–once a major problem–and to monitor some crime-ridden neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department used ShotSpotter as part of its campaign to discourage celebratory gunfire after discovering the majority of gunfire was coming from two blocks mostly inhabited by parolees.

Police in both areas use the technology in conjunction with public warnings to deter gunfire. ShotSpotter has helped solve crimes as an investigative tool, but it is uncertain whether data collected by the technology could stand alone in a court case.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Baltimore Sun (04/07/03) P. 13A; Roylance, Frank D.