Minneapolis wirelessly tracks gun-related incidents

The City of Minneapolis has deployed ShotSpotter’s Gunshot Location System, which captures gunfire from events as far as two miles away using acoustic triangulation, according to the company. Sensors then transfer the data back to the system’s base station in seconds—using 802.11a/b/g, 900 MHz, 5.8 GHz and 800 MHz (trunked or conventional) technology—to let police dispatchers deploy officers to the scene more quickly. The company’s patented spatial filtering technology prevents the system from being fooled by sounds that mimic gunfire, such as car backfires and firecrackers. The system is available in solar- and battery-powered versions, as well as a low-voltage DC power version.