NEWPORT NEWS — Police officials here said it would use ShotSpotter, an app to detect gunshots and alert police.
“It’s another tool in the toolbelt essentially,” said MPO Brandon Maynard, spokesman for the Newport News Police Department.
Maynard said Mayor McKingley Price learned about the app at a conference recently and told police Chief Steve Drew about it.
ShotSpotter uses sensors to detect gunfire and sends an alert within 60 seconds to police and dispatch centers, according to the department’s news release.
Maynard noted the sensors will be used primarily in the downtown and southeast area of the city and the department hasn’t started using the app but plans to in the next month or so.
“We honestly don’t know where the sensors are located,” he said.
How much does the technology cost?
“The cost for ShotSpotter is $275,000 and we are working with local businesses to form partnerships to help cover the cost,” Kim Lee, spokeswoman for the city, wrote in an email.
The Hampton Police Department is currently not using the app. However, Reggie Williams, spokesman for the department, has not ruled it out –– yet.
“We are exploring our options but we have not made any definitive decisions where with regard to what direction the division is going to go in,” he said.
