D.C. police are expanding the use of the ShotSpotter technology to Ward One.

From the bustling shopping center in Columbia Heights to the quiet row houses along Spring Road, Ward One is a diverse part of D.C.; but crime still happens there.

As a result, police have started to use ShotSpotter technology to help pinpoint anywhere a shot is fired. District resident, Howard Pinkney says the device is a good because, as he says, "in the last couple of years, there's been a lot of killing in D.C."

The new addition comes in response to last year's gang violence that plagued several neighborhoods in Ward One.

The piece of technology is only about the size of a coffee can; but mounted on rooftops, it has the ability to help D.C. police find --within seconds--the location of a gunshot. The device will cover a two-mile radius, including all of Ward One east of 16th Street.

Sheena Huffman, a D.C. resident, says it shows police are making an effort to deter crime. "If they make it public and well-known, it might deter people from doing things."

In fact, it appears most people think the ShotSpotter technology is a good idea, but not necessarily the best. Residents would rather see more cameras and more officers on the street to actually see the crimes as they happen. "The ShotSpotter seems like a good technology for getting facts after a crime has been committed, but maybe having people on the street is a good deterrent," said District resident, Katie Leitch.

Still, officers say this is a way of always being on the streets-- at least digitally. The electronic ears are expect to be listening for gunshots across nearly a quarter of the city by the fall.

The technology has been used in other areas of the city for about two years.