Gunfire locator

A gunfire locator or gunshot detection system is a system that detects and conveys the location of gunfire or other weapon fire using acoustic, optical, potentially other types of sensors, as well as a combination of such sensors. These systems are used by law enforcement, security, military and businesses to identify the source and, in some cases, the direction of gunfire and/or the type of weapon fired. Most systems possess three main components:

Systems used in urban settings integrate a geographic information system so the display includes a map and address location of each incident.

History

Determination of the origin of gunfire by sound was conceived prior to World War I where it was first used operationally.

In the early 1990s, the areas of East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park, California, were besieged with crime related to drug traffic. During 1992 there were 42 homicides in East Palo Alto, making it the per capita murder capital of the United States. The Menlo Park police department was often called upon to investigate when residents reported gunshots; however there was no way to determine their source from scattered 911 calls.