'ShotSpotter' Listens For Gunfire, Will Help Denver Cops Find Shooting Locations

DENVER (CBS4) - New high-tech audio equipment could enable Denver police to pinpoint the location of gunfire by employing acoustic sensors on buildings around the city.

Called the "ShotSpotter," the listening devices may indicate the location of the shooters within 25 meters, sometimes even closer. When a gunshot is detected, software helps police dispatch officers within a half-minute to the scene.

"This will send officers to the exact location to where the shots were being fired," Steven Carter with Denver police said.

The department is testing the devices for a year using funds from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Police in Denver respond to an average of 3,862 "shots fired" reports a year.

The current system -- relying on witness statements -- isn't reliable, police said.

"People will call in and say they heard shots fired in their neighborhood, but those shots could be as far as a half or three-quarters of a mile away, and they really don't help us figure out where to go," Carter said.

The technology will fix a dot on a map to show the location of the shooter.

Denver police won't reveal exactly where they've placed their sensors, but they said most are where gun violence occurs often.

If police want to keep the program, they said they will discuss funding options.

ShotSpotter is used in several other cities around the country.