Shootings are up 20% in Fresno, from last year, but new gunshot technology is now live – to help the police reverse that trend.
The Shotspotter Flex Gunfire Detection System (SST) is online, with strategically-placed microphones in a 3 mile radius in Fresno’s hot spots plagued by deadly crime.
Shoot a gun, and Chief Jerry Dyer will know -and in seconds be able to pinpoint the location.
Chief Dyer says officers will even know the caliber of gun and the direction the bullets flew.
“It will decrease the response times to these shootings by officers. Instead of us waiting for a caller to call 911, process that info and send it out to units in the field, this system will allow officers to be notified within a few seconds of the gunshot being heard.” Chief Jerry Dyer
Chief Dyer expects prosecutions to go up as the District Attorney can use the data in court proceedings.
A grant will pay the $450,000 price tag for the next three years, then the city will look at making it part of the General Fund.
