“As good as we are, we don’t have the ability to say exactly where a gunshot came from. We don’t have the ability to pinpoint where the gunshot came from,” Godbee said. “This (tool) takes a lot of the guesswork out of (shootings).” 

Last week, Goodbee presented the software, called ShotSpotter, to the city council for a vote but lawmakers chose to defer the decision to a later session. 

If the council were to approve the purchase, a network of sensors would be installed in a fourteen square-mile section of the city to automatically identify and locate when a gun is fired. Once the location has been confirmed, the system will immediately alert police so they can be deployed. 

According to SST Inc., the system’s creator, ShotSpotter can tell officers the exact street address, the number of rounds fired, and the exact time of the incident. In cases where the shots were fired by moving targets, like in a drive-by, the system can calculate the shooter’s position, speed, and direction of travel. 

In addition, ShotSpotter can tell if two types of guns were used in a shooting and can also pull up an area’s record to check for prior violent crimes. 

Gary Brown, the city council president pro tem, was hesitant about purchasing the system noting that it has not been proven to reduce crime. Brown added that the money should instead be used to hire more officers because the technology would do no good if there were no officers on hand to respond. 

“I’m not sure if the officers are going to be available,” said Brown, a former deputy police chief. “The chief has to assure me those issues are taken care of.”

“The money could be better utilized in hiring more officers,” he said. 

In contrast, Gerald H. Cliff, the police chief of Saginaw, Michigan, said ShotSpotter along with other technology has helped his department protect the community despite budget cuts. Since 1999, the Saginaw police department has been forced to reduce its staff by 40 percent. 

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is an advocate of ShotSpotter and is encouraging the council to approve funding for the project. 

“Reducing violent crime and keeping Detroit safe is our top priority,” Bing said. “This technology is an essential tool for law enforcement that will reduce gun violence in our neighborhoods.” 

Detroit has been plagued by violence and is among the most dangerous cities in the United States. In some neighborhoods, residents say they feel trapped due to rampant gun violence. 

Last summer, Detroit was hit by one of its most violent periods in recent history with 254 shootings that left fifty-two people dead in two months.