Denver Police Plan To Test 'Shotspotter' Detection System Monday Night

DENVER (CBS4) -- Residents and visitors to downtown Denver and neighborhoods to the west of downtown may hear planned gunfire as part of the Denver Police Department's calibration of its gunshot detection system.

Denver started using the system in early 2015. In December of that year, the city council eagerly approved expansion of the system.

Casually known as the 'Shotspotter' network, the system is attuned to the sound of gunfire and allows Denver dispatchers to precisely narrow down locations where gunshots likely originate. That information, in addition to citizen reports, is then relayed to responding officers.

The testing will take place between 6 p.m. and midnight Monday.

Denver PD says there will be no danger to the public during the testing.

DPD last tested the system in mid-July when it added downtown Denver to its existing network.

At that time, DPD said the downtown area became the fifth geographic area in the city to be served by the technology.

An alert from the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District about that July event assured recipients that a bullet trap would be used to capture the live-fire ammunition, and none would be permitted to strike the ground (and possibly deflect) or be sent into the air.

That same bullet trap method will be used Monday night.

The police department prefers to test the system's acoustics during nighttime hours - when most shootings occur.