Denver Police Set To Do Live Gunshot Audio Testing
DENVER (CBS4) - Police in Denver say they don't want people to be alarmed if they hear gunshot noises in the western, southwestern and northeastern sections of the city on Friday night.
A "live gunfire test" will be conducted in that part of the city between 8 p.m. and midnight to test the police department's ShotSpotter system.
ShotSpotter alerts officers to precise crime scenes within seconds. It was first installed in Denver at the beginning of 2015 and has led to 30 arrests, according to the department.
Denver approved an expansion of use of the gunfire detection system in December.
Police don't disclose the location of where the technology is used, but they said during Friday's testing residents may hear "a sequence of gunshots." They said the tests won't involve the actual firing of any weapons.
"We are working to notify folks in advance of the testing. We understand the live gunfire tests may cause temporary disruptions in neighborhoods, but it's critical that we ensure this equipment is functioning properly so that ShotSpotter can continue to help us," Denver Police Chief Robert White said in a prepared statement.
The testing will be done at night because police say acoustics are different at night, and that's when most shootings take place.
