CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — As gunshots ring out in one of South Africa’s most dangerous neighborhoods, a new technology detects the gun’s location and immediately alerts police.
South Africa is the first country outside the United States to implement the “shotspotter” audio technology, which is also being used to fight wildlife poaching on the other end of the country in Kruger National Park.
The technology’s use in Cape Town’s notoriously violent Cape Flats area has contributed for the first time this year to a conviction in a gang shooting. Police hope more will follow.
The recovery of illegal guns has jumped five-fold in the areas where the shotspotter is used, Smith said.
The technology also provides accurate data about gun violence, and the city plans to expand its use.
