Carrollton testing sensor to detect police shootings

CARROLLTON,TX – It's a tiny circuit board powered by a watch battery that slips inside the grip of a Glock. "Typically law enforcement is behind the curve in technology. Something like this could get us back on the forefront of technology," explained Sgt. Wes Rutherford, Carrollton Police.

That little sensor, made by a California company called YardArm, essentially makes pistols smart. Whenever the weapon is fired it alerts dispatchers and relays the exact location. "Seconds are very important because if the suspect were to return fire and God forbid the officer be hit or injured in some way, he might not have the ability to get on the radio," added Rutherford.

Currently, only two departments are testing this nationwide – Carrollton police and a department in Santa Cruz, Calif. All the data this device collects right now is transmitted through a cell phone app back to the manufacturer on the west coast.

When testing is complete and the sensor goes on the market in mid-2015, the YardArm sensor will be able to communicate directly with dispatchers through a police radio system or mobile phone apps.

"This is world-changing technology, we believe," said Bob Stewart, YardArm CEO. His technology firm will test the technology in Carrollton through December.

Stewart said he hopes it eventually detects when a pistol is removed from its holster and in which direction the weapon was fired. "We think technology such as ours can go a long way toward helping reconstruct - through our evidence - exactly what occurred," Stewart said.

For more info, visit http://www.yardarmtech.com