NYC deploying directional gunshot detection system

[The Annoyed Man]

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/26483613/n ... nt-gunfire

They intend to cover 15 square miles with this technology. Prolly won't hear anything though because they've got all those common sense laws.......

[n5wd]

The technology they use to triangulate the location of a sharp noise is pretty cool, but I gotta wonder how the system will work with all of the high-rise buildings in and around NYC.

[suthdj]

I believe Dallas has this not 100% sure though.

[Pawpaw]

Why would they need this?

Since they have all of those "common sense" laws making firearm ownership illegal without government permission, nobody should have guns. Right?

[/sarcasm]

[howdy]

What good will this do with that pesky old Constitution around? Will the police enter a home without a warrant or will they consider the new devise as a reason to enter without permission?

[Jumping Frog]

I know a cop in Cambridge, MA who was telling me about this system. They are implementing it there as well.

He thinks it will save lives. Apparently, they have tested it and found that it provides the location where shots were fired to Dispatch within seconds and is accurate to within 20 yards.

They also know whether they are handgun rounds, rifle rounds or shotgun rounds.

When you are talking about a 100% urban area where there cannot be legal gunshots (unless justified use of deadly force), a system like this has advantages.

[ShootDontTalk]

One thing that occurs to me is that even with quick response of the system (seconds) and 20 yard location, for police this is still an after the crime tool that might aid prosecution, but unless the system is mounted on cruisers, as it is on a military vehicle allowing instant response, I don't see that it is really going to help much. I can illustrate.

Dispatch: "1234, a shooting just seconds ago 25 yards west of the intersection of 5th and Main."
Unit: "1234, 10-4 my ETA is 2 minutes."
How far can the actor run in 2 minutes?

I can see the value in an extremely limited number of situations (sniper, non moving mass shooter, patrol right across the street) but maybe not so much for the average homicide or drive-by. IIRC the system was designed for use by military units to establish a close location for return fire without all the guesswork. Not really the police mission.

Am I missing something?

[anygunanywhere]

They want to catch all the New Years revelers shooting their guns in the air.

Anyugunanywhere

[gljjt]

I predict this system will enable home searches w/o warrants with the system location output giving "probable cause". Not saying it is right, just predicting the misuse.

[johncanfield]

Uh, help me out here... won't the sound be bounced around all of the high-rise buildings?

[DocV]

Uh, help me out here... won't the sound be bounced around all of the high-rise buildings?

Yes, but sound wave processing is quite advanced and echoes from known structures would actually aide location.