MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The Martinsville Police Department is discontinuing its use of a gunshot detection system due to performance issues, while Roanoke prepares to implement the same technology next year.
The system, nicknamed “Raven” by its parent company Flock, was installed in Martinsville at the beginning of this year through an $80,000 grant from Ceasefire Virginia. The network consisted of 140 sensors placed throughout the city. Martinsville was among more than 170 U.S. cities testing the technology.
“We’ve had a few incidents of shootings in the city where we know gunshots have happened inside the house and the sensors weren’t able to pick it up,” said Martinsville Police Chief Chad Rhoades.
The department cited multiple issues with the system’s effectiveness. In some cases, the technology significantly undercounted gunfire incidents compared to other surveillance methods.
“We also had a couple incidents where a lot of shots were fired, and local ring doorbell cameras picked up, for example, 28 shots being fired and the raven picked up eight,” Rhoades explained.
Despite Martinsville’s experience, Roanoke officials remain optimistic about implementing the technology in their city.
“Just look at the size of Martinsville compared to Roanoke. Just look at the crime,” said Eric Mayo, Project Manager for Roanoke Police. “We’re going to pilot it, and if it’s not worth our buck, we won’t move forward with it. I’ve used it in other cities before, and it’s been phenomenal.”
The end of Martinsville’s program coincides with the expiration of their grant funding. However, the department remains open to exploring new crime-fighting technologies.
“Any time that they’re offering grant money for a new technology, we want to take a look at it and see if it’s something we’ll be able to use,” Rhoades said.
Martinsville’s system is scheduled to be fully dismantled by the end of 2026, around the same time Roanoke’s system becomes operational.