In an effort to quell concerns about policy brutality and use of deadly force, a Silicon Valley company has developed a new technology that will allow law enforcement to track when a gun is pulled from its holster, as well as when a weapon is fired.
Not only that, but the technology will allow law enforcement agencies to track the trajectory of the shot and the location of the weapon at the time it was fired. Jim Schaff, who works for Yardarm Technologies, the company developing the equipment, said the technology works through Bluetooth connectivity and real-time location sensing.
“It’s the same kind of sensor your iPhone uses to change the screen from vertical to horizontal when you turn your phone to the side,” said Schaff. “But ours is way more powerful.”
Schaff also noted that the connectivity is not linked up to the trigger mechanism, so there is no possibility that the gun could be fired remotely. It will simply track when the gun is drawn and record any discharge data.
Proponents of the technology believe it can help clarify exactly what occurred during a particularly tense or ambiguous encounter. The data could also help forensic scientists determine who fired a fatal shot, or if an officer exercised unnecessary force by drawing his weapon on a suspect.
The tracking technology also has one big benefit for police officers; Instant notification of a gun being drawn. If an officer needs to draw his weapon, odds are he’s facing a dangerous or potentially life-threatening situation. If the station gets a notification that an officer has drawn his or her weapon, they can immediately dispatch backup without the responding officer needing to divert attention from the situation to radio in a call. In hostile situations, those extra few seconds can be the difference between life and death.
“That’s the worst nightmare for any police officer in the field,” said Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak in regards to an officer’s inability to radio for backup.
Schaff concluded by saying he hopes the technology is implemented nationwide by the end of next year.
Related source: RT.com
