INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis police have started Phase 2 of the process to install new gunshot detection technology. IMPD tells WISH-TV they’ll be collecting data from three vendors: Flock Safety, J&M Security Systems, and ShotSpotter.
“That’s one of our major questions, is how accurate is this. It’s one thing to hear a gunshot and have no idea where it came from, and it’s another thing to be able to respond to a very specific area,” said Matthew Thomas, commander of criminal investigations division of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, in an interview with WISH-TV.
Thomas says the data the department collects will tell them how accurate the new technology is. The tech should be able to tell officers when and where a shot was fired and the type of weapon that was used.
Thomas tells WISH-TV that Phase 2 isn’t costing the taxpayer because $9 million was given to the department through the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided federal funds as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Thomas says Phase 2 will last two weeks and the goal is to get through all six phases and then pilot one vendor for a year.
