Written by DCist contributor Lindsay Gibson.

As we mentioned earlier, a new grid of high-tech sensors meant to pinpoint gunshots is being tested in D.C. as part of a pilot program by the FBI. The sensors, which use a technology called ShotSpotter, picks up the distinct noise of gunfire and automatically alerts police to its location within a few feet. District officials credit the system with last week’s rapid arrest of a suspect after the fatal shooting of man in SE.

It’s certainly exciting to hear about new, and apparently successful, ways of fighting crime in D.C., but this technology has implications that reach far beyond catching shooters and helping their victims. These gadgets create an opportunity to change the way both police and neighbors respond to crime. Currently there’s an asymmetry between the information citizens in high-crime areas report and the incidents police effectively respond to. The Post casually admits that “gunfire has become a part of the urban landscape,” numbing people to the sound and making them less likely to call police. Some legitimate shootings go unreported while cops lose precious time hunting down noises which may just as likely come from a backfiring car. ShotSpotter alleviates the latter of these problems, but not the former.

While helping police find shooting victims faster is critical, the sensors could decrease public involvement in reporting crimes. A system touted to automatically alert police in case of gunfire takes the onus off of neighbors to call 911. Cops can’t be everywhere and the vigilance of residents is a critical factor in keeping neighborhoods safe. Some people may not take this burden seriously, but those who live in crime hot-spots shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security that squad cars will magically appear after a shooting.