The Fresno City Council has approved a request by Police Chief Jerry Dyer for funding to install gunshot detecting microphones in a three square mile section of the city.
The system, called ShotSpotter, uses the microphones to triangulate the location of gunshots so police can respond.
Company CEO Ralph Clark says the system greatly improves a department’s ability to respond to gunshots.
Clark: “70-to-90-percent of the time, people don’t call 911 when they hear gun fire in these underserved communities, which is quite tragic. So the first thing is they have much more complete awareness of illegal gunfire.”
The contract would cover three years of service, and be funded by a grant the city had previously been awarded.
