FAIRFIELD, Calif. -- The city of Fairfield is trying to stop major crimes before it happens. They say loitering has slowly become a major issue and police fear those who loiter will eventually commit more serious crimes.

Officer Matt Bloesch says shootings, drug transactions and gambling are starting to occur more often and seem to be concentrated in Fairfield's South Pace neighborhood.

Gateway Village Apartment residents have witnessed the surge in crime and their complex seem to be a magnet for those who want to hide from police.

"The ones from across the street have shootouts and this is where they run and hide from police", says resident Denise Robertson.

Fairfield police have found a high-tech way to combat what they say is one of the major roots of their problems.

It's called the Mosquito.

It is an nondescript grey box that produces a sound that only teenagers can hear. This sound is an irritating noise that some say is like fingernails scraping against a chalkboard.

Recently used in Europe and Canada, the Mosquito can emit a noise up to 50 feet and has proven effective in deterring unwanted lingering teens.

The Mosquito manufacturer loaned one of its devices to the city of Fairfield earlier this year.

The first to test the device was Gateway Village Apartments and residents there can testify to its success. They used it for three months and immediately saw teens leaving the area, reacting negatively to the annoying high-pitched sound. The device has now moved to a nearby 7-11 who are also hoping for the similar success.

Bloesch believes "this is another tool that creates a more unpleasant environment for people to just hang out and loiter so when you combine that with all the other factors we seem to be making some headway in the loitering problem."

At a cost of $1,200 per device, Gateway Village Apartment manager Juana Nunley hopes the complex owner will buy three or four Mosquitos.

Bloesch believes if Fairfield can rid its city of loitering it hopefully can rid its city of some violent crimes.