Tangney added that the system is sophisticated enough to differentiate the sound of an actual gunshot from other noises like firecrackers or a baseball bat. As soon as a shot is detected, Tangney said, the system would be able to alert the police and expedite response time. Microphones are used to triangulate the source of the gunshot, and police can improve the system’s accuracy over time by programming it to recognize what fireworks or a helicopter sound like, for example, county police said.

“This would give us objective, physical evidence of where shots are or are not fired,” Tangney said, noting that they system would also cut down on false claims of shootings.

Additionally, the system also could be expanded to include video cameras capable of panning to the area where shots were fired to record a license plate, a car, a face, or anything else that can help catch the suspect, county officials said.

“The ShotSpotter System helps our officers respond faster and gives them a specific area to search for potential evidence, question witnesses, and in the event a victim is found, ensure that medical attention is timely,” Ford said. “Most importantly, this system improves both the safety of the community at large and of our responding officers.”

Ford and Nassau County are currently negotiating the terms of the program. According to Sergeant Patrick Ryder, Commanding Officer of Nassau’s Asset Forfeiture and Intelligence department, the county installed ShotSpotter in the Roosevelt and Uniondale area in 2010 and have seen a 25 percent decrease in major crimes countywide over the past five years since the system has been installed. Within the first year of installing the system in Roosevelt, there was a 77 percent reduction in the amount of shots fired and a 33 percent reduction in shootings with injuries in the neighborhood.

“The cameras also educate us so we know where to concentrate our resources,” Ryder added