Elkhart Police announce rollout of Flock Safety Raven Audio Detection System
In the last couple weeks, Elkhart Police started utilizing the Flock Safety Raven audio detection system
within the city limits.
When coupled with their existing Flock cameras, the new audio detection system allows officers to more quickly dispatch to shots fired calls.
The department believes the technology can help solve more crimes and reduce crime rates in the community.
The Raven device, developed by Flock, is a microphone designed to monitor audio and identify gunshots with the aim of alerting first responders.
Gunshot detection units capture short audio clips of their surroundings, interpret that audio to
detect specific sound patterns, and, ultimately, alert an officer when the system has captured the sound of a potential gunshot.
The automated process of capture, analysis, and comparison typically takes seconds, and the system notifies officers with a narrowed geographical location. According to Flock, these devices can detect gunshots from up to 90 feet away and notify officers within one minute.
These devices are located on roads in strategic locations, which were selected after analyzing calls for service data from the Elkhart City 911 Communications Center.