Police shootings have come under scrutiny in the United States in recent years, in the wake of several recent fatal incidents, such as the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last summer.
Now, a startup hopes to track police shootings more closely, for the benefit of both officers and the public. The company, Yardarm, has developed a sensor that attaches to the base of gun that records not only every time the gun is fired, but also other information including the location, direction of the gun, and exactly when it was fired. The encrypted data is then sent wirelessly in real time, via a mobile app, where other officers and commanders can access it, allowing them to respond if a police officer is in trouble.
Yardarm announced last week that it has already begun testing with the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Department in California and the Carrollton Police Department in Texas. It will also present a demo of the new technology at a police conference in Orlando, Florida.
