GREENVILLE, Pitt County — The city of New Bern is now considering new technology to help detect gunfire anywhere in the city.

Local law enforcement asked the city’s Board of Aldermen Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, to approve the installation of Shotspotter.

Shotspotter is capable of detecting and locating gunshots fired within a mile radius of each installed unit.

The city of Greenville has been using the technology since 2019.

New Bern Police Chief Patrick Gallagher said Shotspotter does much more than just find the gunfire, he said it is also a crime deterrent, reminding people when they fire a gun within city limits, they will be found.

“You need to make sure that we have a presence in the areas we have the most violence,” Chief Gallagher said.

He said Shotspotter helps provide that presence, guiding officers quickly to the scene of gunfire.

The technology eliminates officers relying on calls to the dispatcher or eye witnesses.

It can also differentiate between bullet calibers.

“We understand that only 12 percent of people are contacting us about gunfire in the community and that there’s 88 percent that they’re not contacting us,” Chief Gallagher said.

With this technology, Chief Gallagher said the police department doesn’t have to wait for someone to call, effectively cutting out the middle man and reducing the chance of missing the gun violence.

“So, we know that acts of violence involving a firearm are occurring and we have no knowledge of it,” Chief Gallagher said.

He said this technology can be extremely useful during the investigation process.

When a unit picks up on gunfire, an acoustic specialist analyzes the sound and relays it to the police.

He said it can help mitigate anything the police may have missed in the past.

“We know what shell casings are going to be related to the incident that we’re responding to, we know there’s quite a bit of ballistic evidence that we haven’t found yet,” Chief Gallagher said.

He said each unit covers a one-mile radius and plans to install a sensor in the area with the most reports of gunfire.

A single unit will cost more than $66,000 up front and then go down to just less than $50,000 each year after that.

Chief Gallagher said the department is looking into sponsors that he believes will help support the costs.

“We believe that it is in their best interest to assist us in financing this very important piece of technology,” Chief Gallagher said.

The board voted unanimously to table the decision until a December meeting.

Members of the board said they wanted the New Bern PD to get input from the community.