Within Earshot

• NCJ Number: 211885
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 96-MU-MU-K011
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review

Annotation

This article describes gunshot location technology and its many uses for law enforcement.

Abstract

Gunshot location technology relies on acoustic sensors to detect the sound of gunfire, which is then located through the use of triangulation. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, which is located in one of the highest crime areas in Los Angeles County, recently used the system on a trial basis during New Year's Eve 1999 to locate gunfire. During a 3-hour period, 1,100 incidents of gunfire were detected and located. The article describes three potential law enforcement uses for gunshot location technologies: (1) officer response; (2) problem-solving; and (3) crime prevention. Since all incidents of gunfire are not reported to police, the technology will increase police response to gunfire and, when the technology is combined with crime mapping technology, it will help identify high crime locations. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has funded a testing and evaluation project in Austin, Texas in order to gather data on the technology's impact on real crime statistics. Contact information is provided.