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Gunshot-detection devices coming to Dublin to help police cut down on time finding shooters

Patrol officers have laptops in their cars that will point to gunshot locations as soon as sensors detect them.

DUBLIN, Ga. — The City of Dublin is trying something new to help police respond quicker to gunshot calls. Last week, the city council approved a test run for a gunshot detection system called Flock Safety Raven

Dublin already has other technology from Flock Safety. They installed Flock Safety Falcons, which read license plates. They've also installed Flock Safety Condor Videos, which offer live and recorded scene video. 

Police Chief Keith Moon said the gunshot detectors will be one more layer of protection the city is testing out. He doesn't expect them to be installed for at least a couple of months.  

"What this system will do is pinpoint it almost. So that we're not wasting valuable time trying to find it. They can actually respond to where it's coming from," Moon said. 

A couple of weeks ago, he said they got several 911 calls about one shooting. Officers patrolled over half a mile of distance, trying to find where the shots came from. He hopes these devices could help track down trouble faster. 

Moon said their license plate reader cameras have been really successful at helping them solve crimes. He thinks using all three systems could lead to quicker and more captures. 

"Flock advertises less than 60-second notification time. I think it'll be a little less than that," Moon said. 

Patrol officers have laptops in their cars that will point to gunshot locations as soon as sensors detect them. Moon said they're also working with Laurens County's 911 center to give dispatchers the ability to also see where the gunshots are coming from. 

After a 60-day trial, Moon said he'll make a recommendation to the city about whether to keep the sensors. 

If the city decides to keep them, it would cost $35,000 a year for each mile covered by the sensors.

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