In a similar vein, gunshot detection systems are now being used by some police departments to detect gunfire in urban situations. Random gunfire as a display of celebration in connection with holidays or sporting events is a significant problem in many large U.S. cities. UC's Center for Criminal Justice Research has coordinated a study to examine the operations and effectiveness of two such systems in use in suburban Los Angeles and in Dallas. The technology is designed to detect the sound of a muzzle blast from a gun and, within seconds of the shot being fired, estimate the location where the shot was fired and alert the police. While the technology is effective in detecting random gunfire, questions remain about whether it will actually help police in their work.
Police have to be willing to do something with that information.
It used to be that campus police agencies could count on summer as a time to slow down, regroup and engage in some planning for the upcoming school year. Not any more. UC Police Chief Gene Ferrara calls summer a challenging season for his department and for his colleagues at other campuses around Ohio. There are more people than ever in summer athletic camps, taking seminars or enrolled in summer courses. That presents its own set of challenges to UC police.