Kankakee Times

In an effort to reduce gun violence in the city, Kankakee's police department will make use of a $48,000 grant for a ShotSpotter system.

The Daily Journal reported ShotSpotter is a gunshot detection and alert system that will monitor gunfire activity at all times and then notify police.

"Reducing gun violence is one of the highest priorities for our police department,” Kankakee Police Chief Frank Kosman said. “This system will enhance our response as a force multiplier by improving both the timeliness and quality of the response."

Kosman said the system will help officers be more effective.

“By pinpointing the precise location of gunshot incidents and by more accurately tracking geographic patterns underlying gun violence, our law enforcement resources can be deployed more effectively and more proactively," said Kosman, who noted that shots-fired reports jumped from 80 in 2018 to 120 in 2019.

More than 100 cities nationwide already use the technology. Several Illinois cities, including Calumet City, Chicago, Peoria, Rockford and Springfield already have the technology, the news agency reported.

“As technology advances, I am proud that we have a proactive police chief that is keeping up with useful tools as we continue to work toward a safer community,” Kankakee Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong said. “ShotSpotter will be a great addition in further improving public safety.” 

ShotSpotter will automatically notify the department when a gun is fired and will triangulate where the sound came from to give police a chance of finding who shot it. Acoustic sensors will be placed throughout the city and ShotSpotter says the process will take less than one minute.