Don’t be Alarmed if you Hear Gunshots in Schenectady
Thursday you might hear gunshots in Schenectady. Normally this would be cause for concern, but in this case, it's the Schenectady testing the new system that will detect gunshots and report them to police.
This is a system that has been used in cities all over the United States with great success. Especially in cities that have been seeing an increase in gun violence.
There are several systems on the market, but they all basically work the same. The city sets up node microphones all over the city or in high crime areas. The microphone nodes are little transmitters that send a message to police dispatchers when a gunshot is detected near one of the microphone nodes. The system is sophisticated enough to be able to distinguish between a gunshot, a car backfires, fireworks, or other "gunshot-like sounds".
Schenectady is getting this technology as part of its Smart City REV Demonstration Project with National Grid. The city is also upgrading LED streetlights, expanding public Wi-Fi networks, and setting up gunshot detection technology. National Grid and many other companies are helping to install smart city technology solutions city-wide.
So, what about the gunshots? Well, the system is getting installed Thursday, November 12th. Once the system is set up it has to be tested to make sure it's calibrated correctly and ready to transmit gunshot information back to the police. To test the system Schenectady Police will be shooting blanks around 8:30 am in the areas of Jefferson Street, Foster Avenue, and Becker Street. The Police will notify people in the area prior to each test.