Suffolk to deploy gunshot detection system

Suffolk County will deploy a gunshot detection system in March across a 2-square-mile area of Huntington Station in a pilot program that could be expanded to other communities plagued by gun violence, County Executive Steve Levy said Thursday.

Amid questions from two county legislators about why Huntington Station was selected over other communities that have seen more gun crimes over the past year, Levy said Huntington Station has been a recent focus of anti-crime efforts. He added that community leaders, including Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Huntington), had lobbied for the technology.

After initially opposing the ShotSpotter system - which Nassau County uses - Levy agreed to a $450,000 trial run. "Let's hope for the best," he said.

A series of shootings near Jack Abrams School in Huntington Station - including daytime gunfire later attributed to Latin Kings gang members and the wounding of a 16-year-old just off school property - prompted the school's closure in July.

Levy said the county police department's increased efforts in the area over the past year resulted in a 33 percent decline in violent crime during the first 11 months of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009.

In an analysis of hamlets that could benefit from ShotSpotter, Suffolk police officials last month listed both North Amityville and Wyandanch before Huntington Station.

"We want it implemented as quickly as possible," said Legis. DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville), who with Legis. Kate Browning (WF-Shirley) questioned why some communities they represent were not included in the pilot program. They are co-sponsoring legislation to install the system in Wyandanch and North Bellport by this summer.

Asked whether he would sign that bill if it passed, Levy said, "It makes sense to hold off until we see the results." The pilot program, which the county is paying entirely for, could take up to a year, he said.

ShotSpotters use computerized sound sensors to detect gunshots, pinpointing the origin to within about 80 feet and sending an immediate alert to the local precinct, according to the manufacturer's website.

In Nassau, police credit the system with speeding up medical care for the wounded, helping cops more quickly identify witnesses, and hastening the capture of shooters - particularly when no one calls 911.

The system was installed in July 2009 in Roosevelt and Uniondale - areas where the most guns were being confiscated, county officials said.

Since its launch there, the sensors have alerted police to about 900 shooting incidents. An incident can be one gunshot or several shots.

Nassau's chief police spokesman, Det. Lt. Kevin Smith, said the department has seen a drop in one-on-one shootings in Roosevelt and Uniondale, but a rise in drive-by shootings aimed at houses to intimidate the occupants.

With Matthew Chayes