Watch CBS News

Hartford Investing In Gunshot-Detecting Sensors For City

HARTFORD, CT (WCBS 880/AP) -- Just half way through the year and the City of Hartford has seen 17 homicides. The mayor is now making an investment, hoping to end the violence.

Cutting down on homicides in Hartford is a matter close to the heart of the city's mayor Pedro Segarra, who lost his own father to a street shooting when he was a child.

WCBS 880's Fran Schneidau reports: Mayor Hopes System Will Diminish Gun Violence In Hartford

Podcast

Now, the mayor is investing in a computerized sensor program for Hartford that will radically improve response time to a shooting.

"It specifically identifies gunshots and even the caliber of the weapon that is used," explains Segarra. "It pinpoints the exact location of where the shot is fired and it immediately sends out a response to a police cruiser that is the nearest."

Segarra is also working closely with neighboring towns and cities saying often one person is responsible for two or more area shootings.

Police Chief Daryl Roberts says there also has been an 8 percent increase in non-fatal shootings during the same time period.

The computerized sensor program costs $150,000.

The city was denied federal funding for the system and the mayor says it cannot afford cameras, normally deployed with the sensors, to help identify shooters.

What do you think about the program? Sound off below in our comments section...

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.