The locations of microphones used to detect gunshots have been kept hidden from police and the public. A WIRED analysis of leaked coordinates confirms arguments critics have made against the technology.

People usually call in shots fired. So all they’ve done is create an expensive device that maybe tells them a bit sooner than a concerned citizen.

This is where I disagree. I think a transparent, publicly run system to triangulate gunshots is actually a great idea. As long as the microphones are placed evenly throughout a city, they can instantly let police know where and when a gunshot happened.

However, with no way to publicly verify the fairness of the a private system, there’s only one way this could go.

Doesn’t triangulation get fucked up by the presence of buildings? I don’t imagine these give much more precision, even in the ideal situation you describe.

I imagine that theoretically you could have algorithms or machine learning to calibrate this. Like make test sounds so you see how the sound diffuses and then filter it out.

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