SUFFOLK, Va. — News 3 is following through, getting more information about a gunshot detection system being used in the city of Suffolk.
Among other things, the system can send alerts to police officers on their cellphones.
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“This is a map that will be on the application," Suffolk Police Department Maj. Jesse Epperson said, describing how the app associated with the city's gunshot detection system works.
When gunshots are detected in Suffolk, technology can quickly alert police.
“We’ve seen small successes and large successes," Epperson explained.
The RAVEN gunshot detection system sends an alert to an app on police officers’ cellphones, showing them where the shots came from.
Three detection devices have to detect a gunshot to determine the location.
As of Oct. 25, the city had devices that covered downtown and the northern part of the city.
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"It has been very accurate for us, especially detecting a single gunshot," Epperson said.
On Oct. 21, thanks to an alert officers were able to quickly respond to Linden Ave.
They found 30-year-old Frenando Holland dead from a gunshot wound, a woman shot, who police didn't name, and two kids crying.
The woman was taken to the hospital. Where the kids went was unclear.
Police said Holland and the woman were in a relationship, but didn’t specify what kind.
Watch: Family of men killed in Suffolk mass shooting hoping for justice as police search for suspects
“I ended up talking to my mom about probably getting some security cameras," said neighbor Brandon Cook
Cook lives across the street from where police say Holland shot the woman and then turned the gun on himself.
He’s glad to know police have a gunshot detection system.
"It does actually give me some peace because usually this is a pretty quiet neighborhood," said Cook.
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Police use crime data to determine where to put detection devices in the city and they can be moved by working with the company that provides them.
"We'd coordinate with them. They'd have to go through the proper permitting process. they would move it to where we need it to be and adjust it how we need," Epperson said.
Aside from detecting and locating gunshots, the system can also help police determine where gunshots didn't happen.
Maintaining the system does cost money, but police believe it’s money well spent and are in the process of expanding the coverage area.
“At the end of the day, when we have systems that help us solve crimes and help us respond to calls quickly and be there for victims and to apprehend the offender it’s important to us to have those tools available," said Epperson.
As of Oct. 25, the shooting remained under investigation. If you have any information, contact the Suffolk Police Department.
