NYPD expands ShotSpotter gunfire-detection system in Bronx, Brooklyn

BROOKLYN (WABC) -- The NYPD is significantly expanding its ShotSpotter gunfire-detection system into large sections of the Bronx and Brooklyn.

The expansion, to seven precincts in the Bronx and seven in Brooklyn, was to have gone operational at midnight Sunday.

The NYPD has been testing the technology on a limited basis since 2011. A ShotSpotter in Brooklyn picked up the sounds of gunfire on Dec. 20, later determined to be connected to the fatal shootings of officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.

"Thanks to the NYPD, New York City continues to be the safest big city in the world-and this technology will help us stay even safer," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "Today's announcement builds on the department's long tradition of introducing pioneering techniques to reduce crime, and will transform the way the NYPD responds to gunshot activity in our neighborhoods. ShotSpotter will help protect our residents, our communities, and our police officers."

The technology uses acoustic detectors to triangulate potential shooting locations. It has been successful in other major American cities and in area municipalities, including several on Long Island.

Commissioner William Bratton had been on the board of California-based SST Inc., which produces the ShotSpotter technology, but had left by the time he became police commissioner in January 2014.

"Gunshot detection technology like ShotSpotter will add yet another tool to the NYPD's technological crimefighting capabilities," Bratton said. "It will enable us to respond to shooting incidents in a more timely manner, and provide us with the ability to help victims, solve crimes and apprehend dangerous suspects more quickly."

Bratton signaled the NYPD was considering wider ShotSpotter use during a City Council hearing last year.

Based on the results of the pilot program, NYPD anticipates incorporating the ShotSpotter alerts in the mobile application, allowing officers to receive alerts directly on their smartphone or tablet devices. The ShotSpotter system gives the NYPD the ability to use technology in an intelligent and strategic way by giving police officers immediate access to the most accurate information available.