HONOLULU (KHON2) — A new law enforcement technology to detect gunfire and explosions is in the initial stages of deployment in Hawaii, but some lawmakers are questioning how the new devices will be used.
A pilot program that is currently underway on Oahu uses devices called ShotSpotters, which are basically audio sensors that are mounted in neighborhoods to detect gunshots and determine whether the boom was from fireworks, car engine backfires or firearms.
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“The system, what it does is it takes the sound, and it triangulates and it kind of pinpoints where it thinks the sound originated from,” said Department of Law Enforcement deputy director of administration Ernest Robello. “This could help assess our patrol units, our ground units, with locating areas or high-density areas of these particular sounds.”
The pilot program is active in Waikiki, Downtown Honolulu, Kalihi and Waianae, but some who initially signed on to the project have some new reservations once they learned the sensors would target fireworks.
“So, when I first heard about the ShotSpotter program, I was excited because, again, gunshots are very prevalent in Waianae. But I was under the impression that it was going to be used for gunshots and only gunshots,” said Sen. Samantha DeCorte, who represents Nanakuli, Maili and Waianae. “With the intention of it being ‘ShotSpotter,’ gun shot spotter, that it doesn’t roll off into other initiatives.”…