CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (WSIL) -- Police are hopeful that new technology spread across Cape Girardeau will lead to faster response times to gun crimes.
Corporal Ryan Droege says the company Shotspotter installed 'dozens' of its acoustic sensors throughout the city over the past few months and are set to go live by the end of the week.
"If a gunshot goes off we might get calls from two or three blocks from all directions," Droege said. "You don't know exactly where it is and so then we got a handful of officers trying to search."
The new technology listens for gunshots and helps notify police of gun crimes in progress. Police are also trained in monitoring the data 24/7 with data delivered to dispatch centers, patrol cars, and even smartphones.
"Now we can have these sensors tell us... within just a few feet check this one area or we're gong to be able to zone in and locate what we need to locate," Droege said.
Droege says this is more of a proactive move than it is a reactionary one. Droege says less than 20% of gun-related crimes are reported to police and says this technology will be vital in offsetting those numbers.
"Being able to get to a scene [quicker] ... is going to give us better help for a victim if there is one, better evidence collection and hopefully catching perpetrators in the act," Droege said.
Droege was unable to disclose what the devices looked like or where the devices were located. He says the devices were hidden in high-altitude, undisclosed locations across the city.
