COLORADO SPRINGS – The Colorado Springs Police are conducting more live fire testing on their new gunshot detection system tonight in southeastern Colorado Springs between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
People in the Valley Hi, Park Hill, and Pikes Peak Park neighborhoods may hear gunshots from this calibration process during this time frame.
To test the system, bullets will be fired into a bullet trap, not into the air or ground. The FireFLY system is designed to detect the sound of gunshots, giving police the ability to triangulate where they were fired.
Testing for this new system started in September. In partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Department of Defense, the Colorado Springs Police Department would be the first municipality to utilize this specific technology and equipment which was developed for urban use.
On top of improved response times and more safety, there’s an added bonus here. As a result of this partnership, the City of Colorado Springs will not incur any expenses related to this investigative tool.
The gunshot detection system uses a network of acoustic sensors to detect when a gun is fired and then quickly pinpoints the location of the gunfire before notifying the CSPD. Police say they analyzed reported gun crimes in Colorado Springs and determined the area surrounding the Valley Hi neighborhood, near the intersection of Fountain Boulevard and Chelton Road, has the highest concentration of reported gunfire. Because of that information, that area was chosen for the initial installation and evaluation of the system.
Denver uses a similar system across the city. The “ShotSpotter” program started in 2015. They have four sensors in Denver’s highest crime areas. DPD says it has improved their ability to arrive on the scene of a violent crime much faster.
The Colorado Springs Police want the public to know that they should continue to call them whenever they hear gunshots nearby.
