Nashville will soon launch a new technology in some of the city's most violent neighborhoods in an effort to reduce gun violence.
ShotSpotter uses sound sensors attached to light poles and buildings to track the exact location of gun shots. The goal is to immediately give police accurate information that allows for faster response times.
"It can triangulate gunfire to the exact latitude and longitude, it can tell you what caliber of weapon was fired, it can even tell you if there may be multiple shooters," said Lonnell Matthews, director of the Mayor's Office for Neighborhoods and Community Engagement. "Law enforcement is dispatched immediately without someone having to call in and report that gunfire."
Nashville will install ShotSpotter in the James Cayce Homes, Napier Sudekum Homes, and Buena Vista Heights/Elizabeth Park areas. Matthews said those neighborhoods saw the largest increase in gunfire in 2017.
It will cost about $300 thousand to complete the one year pilot program. If successful, Nashville may roll the program out citywide.
Metro is holding community meetings next week to answer and questions about the technology and to gather feedback. The details of those meetings are listed below.
Cayce Homes meeting: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at the Martha O’Bryan Center from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Buena Vista Heights/Elizabeth Park meeting: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at the North Precinct Community Room from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Napier/Sudekum Homes meeting: Thursday, February 22, 2018 at the Pruitt Library from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
