The City of Columbus will purchase a 685 thousand dollar piece of crime fighting technology.
Mayor Andy Ginther says he wants police to install Shot Spotter in Linden, the Hilltop and the south side. Shot Spotter is already being used in Cincinnati. Ginther says the city also wants to add street lighting in some neighborhoods.
Shot Spotter is an electronic ear in the sky that can detect gun fire, the type of gun used, and the location. Ginther said yesterday during an update of the comprehensive safety strategy a neighborhood safety committee will be formed to address the 43205 zip code on the east side. And Ginther says the city's expansion of a bike patrol program has helped improve communication and relations between the community and police. Police Sergeant Fred Brophy says he encourages his colleagues to take ownership over the process of solving problems.
Brophy says those bike patrols and conversations helped police safely identify and arrest the final suspect in a gang-related multiple homicide.
