'Shotspotter' Freeway System Tested With Gunfire In Contra Costa

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA – The California Highway Patrol will be using controlled gunfire to test the ShotSpotter component of the new Freeway Security Network System in Contra Costa County Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

People living near the freeways in the area of the testing may hear gunfire from the live-fire trials, the CHP said, noting that it poses no danger to the public.

The testing is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. and conclude at 4 a.m. Thursday, in unspecified locations of county freeways. The testing, which is being conducted at night to minimize traffic disruption, may result in lane
closures by Caltrans throughout the night, and the presence of personnel and/or equipment alongside the roadway in test areas.

When operational, the ShotSpotter system is expected to help pinpoint the time and location of freeway shootings. The information gathered then will be provided to law enforcement to investigate.

The next phase of the Freeway Security Network system will include installation cameras and license plate readers, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Several cities and law enforcement agencies joined to create the system in the wake of a number of freeway shootings throughout the county in recent years.

After-hours concerns regarding the testing should be directed to the CHP Golden Gate Division non-emergency line at (707) 641-8300.

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--Bay City News/Image via Renee Schiavone