Today, the St. Louis County Police Department is activating its new gunshot detection systems in North County.

The devices are from a company out of California called ShotSpotter. The system uses sensors to pinpoint where gun shots are being fired and in real time sends that information to police officers on patrol.

The City of St. Louis installed the system in 2008 and in November of 2011 a St. Louis Circuit Court allowed the use the new technology as evidence against Edward Roach who was accused of discharging g a firearm from a vehicle in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood.

According to ShotSpotter, nearly eight out of ten gunfire events go unreported to 911. Currently, ShotSpotter only covers a four-square miles area in the North County of St. Louis County and costs approximately $400,000.00; a federal grant helped for the new detection system.

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