This is going to make July 4th a lot more interesting: The NYPD has started using gunshot detecting sensors in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The sensors are set up on the street and in the projects, and are equipped to send alerts to the 73rd Precinct whenever a gun is fired.
Not only do the sensors send alerts, they move automatically to take photographs of where the gunfire came from, hopefully capturing images of the perpetrators in the process. The sensors in Brownsville will be kept plenty busy: The area is notorious for gun violence, and 34 people have already been shot this year.
Despite the good intentions behind the sensors, they are being met with mixed reviews. Because there are plenty of things that sound similar to a gunshot—like fireworks, a backfiring Datsun, or a crappy 50 Cent song—critics are worried that cops will be responding to bogus alerts too often.
The Brownsville gunshot sensors are only a pilot program, so time will tell if the NYPD decides to expand their use to more neighborhoods. With the amount of noise set to come on Monday night, the sensors better be equipped with backup generators.
