ShotSpotter explained

SoundThinking, Inc.
Former Name:ShotSpotter Inc.
Type:Public
Traded As:NASDAQ:
Founder:Robert Showen
Hq Location:Fremont, California, U.S.
Industry:Security technology
Areas Served:United States
Revenue: (2023)
Net Income: (2023)
Assets: (2023)
Equity: (2023)
Num Employees:312 (December 2023)
Footnotes:[1]

SoundThinking, Inc. (formerly ShotSpotter Inc.) is an American security technology company based in Fremont, California. The company is publicly traded, and is known for its gunfire locator service.[2] ShotSpotter claims it can identify whether or not a gunshot was fired in an area in order to dispatch law enforcement, though researchers have noted concerns about effectiveness, reliability, privacy, and equity. The company has been partnering with cities and police since 1997, and as of 2022 has been utilized by more than 130 cities and law enforcement agencies in the US.[3]

History

ShotSpotter was founded by Robert Showen in the 1990s while he was working for SRI International. He created a company in 1996 and tested prototypes in Redwood City, California. Its early success was described by Wired as being "due to good PR, not good technology." James Beldock joined as CEO in 2003 as a "turnaround specialist"; in 2005 the company merged with Centurist Systems, which was creating acoustic sniper location systems for the military; Centurist held a "deceptively simple patent" for the location algorithm. Centurist's CEO, Scott Manderville, became chairman of the board.[4] [5] [6] [7]

As of 2021, the acoustic locator technology was installed in 125 cities and 14 campuses, covering 911 square miles.[8] The locators are typically installed at 20–25 sensors per square mile and primarily connected via 4G networks (mostly AT&T and Verizon). In 2020, Chicago was 18% of the company's revenue, and New York City was 15%.[4]

Ralph Clark was named CEO of ShotSpotter in 2010. The company went public in June 2017. The company authorized a stock buyback program in 2019 and bought back $8.3 million by the end of 2020.[4]

The company's gross revenues were $58.2 million in 2021 (increased coverage by 49 square miles and 10 cities), up from $45.7 million in 2020 and from $40.8 million in 2019 (increased coverage by 82 square miles and 6 cities).[8] The company had a net loss of $4.4 million in 2021, in part from nonrenewal of contracts and increases in legal costs, PR from Trident DMG, and lobbying.[9]

Toronto, Ontario has declined to use the technology, as the Ministry of the Solicitor General (Ontario) believes it violates Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The company previously provided indoor gunfire locator technology, but discontinued it in 2018.[4]

ShotSpotter illegally lobbied the city of Oakland, California in 2014 and received a $5000 fine.[10] [11]

In April 2023, the company rebranded to SoundThinking to better represent "holistic approach to gun violence", but retained the ShotSpotter product name.[12] [13]

In July 2023, a Houston Chronicle investigation showed that ShotSpotter calls resulted in lower incident report rates and longer police response times. Over 80% of ShotSpotter alerts were false positives or otherwise useless. The almost 5500 alerts led to 99 arrests and 126 charges, about half of which were misdemeanors. A disproportionate number of residents in coverage areas are people of color. The Houston Police Department cast the system as a way to invest in historically marginalized areas.[14] In May 2023, Houston mayor John Whitmire said "I think it’s a gimmick. A feel-good program. Most law enforcement officers do not support ShotSpotter. I don’t support it." The city's contract goes through 2027, but Whitmire wants to terminate it early.[15] [16]

In an August 2023 earnings call, the CEO of SoundThinking announced that the company had begun the process of absorbing parts (including the "engineering team") of Geolitica, formerly known as PredPol.[17]

The company spent nearly $24 million in sales and marketing in 2023.

In May 2024, three senators and a representative wrote a letter requesting the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General open an investigation into ShotSpotter for its accuracy and racial bias in policing.[18] [19]

Studies

A June 2021 study in the Journal of Experimental Criminology stated the system "may be of little benefit to police agencies with a pre-existing high call volume. Our results indicate no reductions in serious violent crimes, yet [ShotSpotter] increases demands on police resources."[20] An October 2021 paper in the Journal of Urban Health, studying the longitudinal effects of ShotSpotter over a 17 year period, found "implementing ShotSpotter technology has no significant impact on firearm-related homicides or arrest outcomes. Policy solutions may represent a more cost-effective measure to reduce urban firearm violence."[21]

In 2021 the NYU School of Law Policing Project published "Measuring the effects of ShotSpotter on Gunfire in St. Louis County, Mo", a paper which indicated a significant drop in gun violence in the area; however, the paper also discloses that ShotSpotter "has provided the Policing Project with unrestricted funding".[22]

A 2024 Northeastern University study showed that ShotSpotter increased detection of gunfire, but did not result in a reduction of gun violence or an increase in gunshot crime case clearance.[23]

Jennifer Doleac told Voice of San Diego that ShotSpotter "resisted attempts (by me and others) to do a rigorous evaluation of its impacts", noting "they've clearly found that they can get cities to sign their contracts without such evidence."

A 2024 audit from the New York City Comptroller found the New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers' time was wasted 87 percent of the time by going to false alarms or unconfirmed sounds. It also stated that NYPD was over-representing the benefits of the system in reducing response times. Comptroller Brad Lander said "NYPD is wasting precious time and money on this technology and needs to do a better job managing its resources. Chasing down car backfires and construction noise does not make us safer."[24] [25] Activist and early supporter of the ShotSpotter installation Jumaane Williams agreed it wasn't working, stating "More concerning is a response to the report. Even the recommendations that say, 'let's try to make it better,' the most material of the recommendations were outright rejected by this administration."[26]

Accuracy

As of 2021, ShotSpotter evidence has been used in 190 court cases, though it is often withdrawn when challenged. ShotSpotter has admitted it manually alters the computer-calculated evidence "on a semiregular basis", and it has never been independently tested, leading to doubts about its accuracy. Vice's Motherboard noted that ShotSpotter "frequently modify alerts at the request of police departments." Associated Press also noted their "methods for identifying gunshots aren't always guided solely by the technology."[27]

While the company claims a 97% accuracy rate, the MacArthur Justice Center studied over 40,000 dispatches in an under-two-year period in Chicago and found that 89% of dispatches resulted in no gun-related crime, and 86% resulted in no crime at all.[28] [29] These results were backed up by a subsequent report by the Chicago Inspector General, which also found that police officers had begun stopping and searching people solely because they were in a place known to have many ShotSpotter alerts.[30] ShotSpotter's CEO described an earlier 80% accuracy rate as "basically our subscription warranty," but employee Paul Greene said "Our guarantee was put together by our sales and marketing department, not our engineers."[31] A study published in January 2024 showed that ShotSpotter implementations in Chicago and Kansas City did not result in reductions in shootings or crime or increased clearance rates.[32] [33]

The ACLU has raised questions about privacy and surveillance, as the detectors keep hours or days of continuous audio.[34] This audio has been admitted as evidence in at least one trial and rejected under a Massachusetts wiretapping law in a 2017 case.[35] When Forbes sent public records requests to agencies in 2016, ShotSpotter sent a memo to all of its customers, detailing how they should deny or redact the requests.[36] ACLU of Massachusetts noted evidence of gunfire is not found for 70% of alerts, and at least 10% of alerts are from fireworks.[37] [38]

The Associated Press reviewed a confidential operations document that indicated 10% of the algorithm's decisions were overridden by a human.[39]

Additionally, the sensors are disproportionately placed in minority communities, leading to more interactions with police, often from false alerts from pneumatic nail guns, jackhammers, manual hammers, and even a piñata.[37] [40] [41] [42]

In cities with cancelled contracts, ShotSpotter still provides alerts to police.[43]

Individual cases

In April 2017, ShotSpotter was able to locate mass-shooter Kori Ali Muhammad, enabling police to apprehend him within minutes.[44]

In 2017, Rochester Police Department officer Joseph Ferrigno shot Silvon Simmons in the back. Accounts between Ferrigno and Simmons vary, but ShotSpotter initially detected the gunshots as a helicopter. The company reclassified it as three gunshots "per the customer's instruction," then revised it to four shots. Later the company's employee Paul Greene "was asked by the Rochester Police department to essentially search and see if there were more shots fired than ShotSpotter picked up," so it was revised to five gunshots, which put it in alignment with Ferrigno's claims. The jury didn't believe ShotSpotter's evidence, and Judge Ciaccio overturned a gun possession charge, describing the ShotSpotter evidence as flawed. Simmons filed a civil lawsuit against ShotSpotter in 2017, for which a jury trial is set for April 2024.[45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50]

Greene also testified in a 2018 case in Chicago where ShotSpotter initially reported two gunshots. On request of the Chicago Police Department, he re-analyzed and found seven gunshots. This matched the police department's account and was not supported by video or bullet casing evidence.[51]

Another case of reclassification occurred in 2020 with the arrest of a Chicago man for the shooting murder of Safarain Herring. ShotSpotter initially classified the sound as a firework, but a ShotSpotter employee changed it to gunfire a minute later, and later changed the calculated location to match the defendant's known location — over a mile away. A public defender in the case filed a Frye motion to examine the ShotSpotter forensic method, and the prosecution withdrew the evidence to avoid scrutinizing it.[52] The MacArthur Center along with Lucy Parsons Labs filed an amicus curiae in the case, supporting the Frye hearing, noting the false positives, the disproportionate deployment, and that "ShotSpotter provides a false technological justification for overpolicing."[53] The defendant spent 11 months in jail before being released in 2021 when his case was dismissed for insufficient evidence.[54]

A ShotSpotter report of shots fired was the impetus for police response which resulted in the March 2021 police shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by the Chicago Police Department. This is part of the reason Chicago did not continue its Shotspotter contract in 2024.[55] [56]

In New Bedford, Massachusetts, the gunshot sensors recorded parts of a conversation, leading to concerns that it violates Fourth Amendment rights.[57] [58] Remarking on these privacy concerns, in 2015 then-NYPD commissioner William Bratton said "the advocates have to get a life." Bratton had been on ShotSpotter's Board of Directors before then, and rejoined it in 2017.[59] [60] [61] [62]

In July 2022, the MacArthur Justice Center brought a class action lawsuit against the City of Chicago, the Chicago Police Department, and several individual police officers for constitutional violations in connection with the use of ShotSpotter.[63] The lawsuit alleges that more than 90% of the time police respond to a ShotSpotter alert they find no indication of a gun-related incident and instead use the alerts to justify scores of illegal stops and arrests.[64] The lawsuit also alleges that Chicago's ShotSpotter policy is racially discriminatory because the system was only implemented in areas with the highest concentration of Black and Latino residents.

Part of ShotSpotter's appeal to privacy is that ostensibly, police do not know the installed locations, which could otherwise allow police to acquire conversations from the ShotSpotter microphones. Bloomberg News reported, however, that not only were location addresses given to the New York Police Department, ShotSpotter actually relied on police to help lobby for their installations, and NYPD stated they have also accompanied ShotSpotter teams on site surveys.[65] In Durham, Shotspotter wanted police officers to lobby for installations for safety and legitimacy. In 2024, WIRED received a leaked listing of precise installation locations for over 25,000 microphones, placing them in the neighborhoods of over 12 million Americans. Their analysis showed the sensors are installed in disproportionaly nonwhite neighborhoods, and determined roughly 10% of the sensors were defective. WIRED also noted sensors are installed on public schools, billboards, hospitals, in public housing complexes, and at the headquarters buildings of the FBI and USDOJ. Shortly after this it was revealed that SoundThinking is suing a whistleblower, Chris Edwards, who disclosed locations of ShotSpotter sensors to the public via social media. While it is not known if this is the Wired source it is very similar. Chris Edwards in turn has claimed that ShotSpotter internally "ShotSpotter is attempting to silence exposure of their toxic workplace environment, rampant sexual and mental harassment, as well as poor business processes which include fraudulent practices of manipulating their data to earn contract agreements with government and local agencies" In his motion, Edwards claimed to have witnessed that much of the ShotSpotter system “was broken, decayed and not maintained,” and that code violations were prevalent. Suspecting that a compromised system might not be “relaying the correct data” to customers, Edwards claimed he raised these concerns with his bosses. But according to Edwards’s legal filing, his bosses wrote those issues off. In his motion, Edwards claimed that John Fountain, ShotSpotter’s former director of field and network operations, told him to “falsify numbers on the deteriorated system to avoid” having to pay back money to cities and agencies for not meeting their contractual obligations. He also claimed, in an affidavit attached to his motion, that Fountain told him to “keep these things in-house” and to “stay out of business that has nothing to do with you.”[66]

ShotSpotter was activated for a shooting at the house of New Mexico Senator Linda M. Lopez; police were dispatched but did not find evidence.[67]

Judge Jeff Beaverstock allowed a ShotSpotter alert to be used as the basis of an arrest in Mobile, Alabama.[68]

Pasadena, California's use of ShotSpotter showed false alerts and wasted police time in a 2023 report. 75% of gunfire calls resulted in no gun casings being found, with some calls being attributed to pneumatic nail guns, fireworks, or cars backfiring.[69]

In January 2024, a Chicago Police Department officer responding to a ShotSpotter alert heard a loud bang, fired at a juvenile boy, and missed. An initial police communication stated the boy had fired a gun at officers. After investigation, it was determined the loud noise were fireworks. The juvenile was not hit by the police in the shooting.[70] [71] [72]

Design

ShotSpotter's gunshot detection system utilizes a series of sensors to capture loud, impulsive sounds.[73] When such sounds are identified, sensors send data to a pair of algorithms responsible for identifying a location and determining if the event can be classified as potential gunfire. Employees at the company are charged with confirming incidents and notifying local police.[74]

Although it is designed to be just an investigative tool for the police, it has also been used for actual primary evidence in trials, leading to criticism about ShotSpotter's effectiveness beyond its primary purpose.[75] [76]

Installations

Current

Pending

Declined installations

ShotSpotter has been removed or bids to install it were rejected in communities. It is considered controversial by many.[138]

Former

Rejected

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SoundThinking, Inc. 2023 Annual Report (Form 10-K) . 1 April 2024 . U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  2. News: Drones, robots, license plate readers: Police grapple with community concerns as they turn to tech for their jobs . 9 March 2022 . . Danielle . Abril.
  3. Web site: Police oversight group recommends Portland use ShotSpotter in all 'high risk areas for gun violence' . 19 July 2022 . . Evan . Watson.
  4. Web site: SSTI 2020 annual 10k . sec.gov . 29 March 2021 . 26 July 2021 .
  5. Web site: Gunshot-detection companies merge . militaryaerospace.com . 26 July 2021 .
  6. Web site: ShotSpotter merges with Centurist - Silicon Valley Business Journal . Silicon Valley Business Journal . 7 March 2005 . 26 July 2021 .
  7. Shot Spotter . Ethan Watters . Wired . 1 April 2007 . 26 July 2021 .
  8. Web site: ShotSpotter, Inc. 2021 Annual Report (Form 10-K) . 29 March 2022 . U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  9. Web site: Lobbying and lawsuits: How ShotSpotter convinced Portland to spend big on gunshot detection . Jonathan Levinson . opb . 7 November 2022 . 7 November 2022 .
  10. Web site: ShotSpotter Lobbied Oakland Officials In Apparent Violation of Law . Darwin BondGraham . East Bay Express . 29 April 2014 . 17 February 2023 .
  11. Web site: Gunshot detection company investigated for possible violations of Portland lobbying laws . Jonathan Levinson . opb . 17 February 2023 . 17 February 2023 . In 2019, Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission fined the company $5,000 for violating the city’s Lobbyist Registration Act and the Oakland Campaign Finance Reform Act. That illegal lobbying blitz happened in 2014 .
  12. News: Schuba . Tom . 10 April 2023 . ShotSpotter, firm behind Chicago police gunshot-detection tool, changes its name . Chicago Sun-Times.
  13. News: Bhuiyan . Johana . 3 May 2023 . 'Ready for some help?': how a controversial technology firm courted Portland police . The Guardian.
  14. Web site: Houston's gunshot alert system isn't curbing violence but delays police response times, data shows . Cheng . Yilun . Houston Chronicle . 11 July 2023 . 12 July 2023 .
  15. Web site: Houston mayor calls gunshot detection tech a 'gimmick,' plans to end ShotSpotter contract StateScoop . Sophia Fox-Sowell . StateScoop . 30 May 2024 . 31 May 2024 .
  16. Web site: Houston Mayor John Whitmire says city's 'ShotSpotter' gunshot detection tool is a 'gimmick' . Courtney Carpenter . Chaz Miller . ABC13 Houston . 30 May 2024 . 31 May 2024 .
  17. Mehrotra . Dhruv . The Maker of ShotSpotter Is Buying the World's Most Infamous Predictive Policing Tech . en-US . Wired . 27 September 2023. 27 September 2023 . 1059-1028.
  18. Web site: Lawmakers request investigation of gunshot detection system used in Mass. . Tenser . Phil . WCVB . 14 May 2024 . 15 May 2024 .
  19. Web site: Wyden, Colleagues Urge DHS to Investigate Federal Funding of ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon . wyden.senate.gov . 14 May 2024 . 15 May 2024 .
  20. Mares. Dennis. Blackburn. Emily. Acoustic gunshot detection systems: a quasi-experimental evaluation in St. Louis, MO. Journal of Experimental Criminology. 17. 2. 2020. 193–215. 1573-3750. 10.1007/s11292-019-09405-x. 213557666 .
  21. Doucette ML, Green C, Necci Dineen J, Shapiro D, Raissian KM. Impact of ShotSpotter Technology on Firearm Homicides and Arrests Among Large Metropolitan Counties: a Longitudinal Analysis, 1999–2016. . J Urban Health . 2021 . 98 . 5 . 609–621 . 33929640 . 10.1007/s11524-021-00515-4 . 8566613 .
  22. Web site: Measuring the effects of Shotspotter on Gunfire in St. Louis County, Mo . NYU School of Law Policing Project . static1.squarespace.com . January 2021 . 26 July 2021 .
  23. Web site: ShotSpotter improves detection and response to gunfire, but doesn’t reduce crime, Northeastern research finds . Cyrus Moulton . Northeastern Global News . 23 May 2024 . 24 May 2024 .
  24. Web site: Audit Report on the New York City Police Department’s Oversight of Its Agreement with ShotSpotter Inc. for the Gunshot Detection and Location System . Office of the New York City Comptroller Brad Lander . 21 June 2024 .
  25. Web site: NYC Surveillance Tech on Shootings Gives False Alarms 87% of Time, Audit Finds . Fola Akinnibi . Bloomberg.com . 20 June 2024 . 21 June 2024 .
  26. Web site: ShotSpotter technology sends NYPD after false alarms 87% of the time, report finds . Jenna DeAngelis . cbsnews.com . 20 June 2024 . 21 June 2024 .
  27. Web site: ShotSpotter Trapped in Subpoena War From Data Hungry Attorneys . Stephen Joyce . news.bloomberglaw.com . 30 May 2023 . 30 May 2023 .
  28. Web site: ShotSpotter Generated Over 40,000 Dead-End Police Deployments in Chicago in 21 Months, According to New Study - MacArthur Justice . MacArthur Justice . 3 May 2021 . 26 July 2021 .
  29. Web site: End Police Surveillance . 26 July 2021 .
  30. Ferguson 1 . Joseph M. 1 . Witzburg . Deborah . 2021-08-24 . The Chicago Police Department's Use of ShotSpotter Technology . City of Chicago, Office of Inspector General.
  31. Web site: Courtroom testimony reveals accuracy of SF gunshot sensors a 'marketing' ploy - The San Francisco Examiner . Jonah Owen Lamb . The San Francisco Examiner . 11 July 2017 . 26 July 2021 .
  32. Web site: Study: ShotSpotter Doesn’t Reduce Crime or Shootings . Jim McKay . GovTech . 4 May 2024 . 4 May 2024 .
  33. Web site: The Impact of Gunshot Detection Technology on Gun Violence in Kansas City and Chicago: A Multi-Pronged Evaluation . Eric L. Piza, George O. Mohler, Jeremy G. Carter, David N. Hatten, Nathan T. Connealy, Rachael Arietti, Jisoo Cho, Emily Castillo . ojp.gov . January 2024 . 4 May 2024 .
  34. Web site: Shotspotter CEO Answers Questions on Gunshot Detectors in Cities . Jay Stanley. ACLU. 5 May 2015. 26 July 2021 .
  35. Web site: It's Time for Police to Stop Using ShotSpotter . Guariglia . Matthew . Electronic Frontier Foundation . 29 July 2021. 23 September 2022 . In at least two criminal trials, prosecutors sought to introduce as evidence audio of voices recorded on acoustic gunshot detection systems. In the California case People v. Johnson, the court admitted it into evidence. In the Massachusetts case Commonwealth v. Denison, the court did not, ruling that a recording of “oral communication” is prohibited “interception” under the Massachusetts Wiretap Act. .
  36. Web site: We're Spending Millions On This High-Tech System Designed To Reduce Gun Violence. Is It Making A Difference? . Drange . Matt . Forbes . 17 November 2016 . 26 July 2021 .
  37. Web site: Boston Police Records Show Nearly 70 Percent of ShotSpotter Alerts Led to Dead Ends — The Data for Justice Project ACLU of Massachusetts . Lee . Julie . The Data for Justice Project ACLU of Massachusetts . 8 April 2024 . 20 April 2024 .
  38. Web site: ShotSpotter aims to detect gunshots instantly. The ACLU says it's ineffective. . Katie Lannan . GBH . 19 April 2024 . 20 April 2024 .
  39. Web site: Confidential document reveals key human role in gunshot tech . Garance Burke . Michael Tarm . AP NEWS . 20 January 2023 . 20 January 2023 .
  40. Web site: ShotSpotter Sensors Send SDPD Officers to False Alarms More Often Than Advertised . Grant . Kara . Voice of San Diego . 22 September 2020 . 7 November 2022 .
  41. Web site: Gunshot-Detecting Tech Is Summoning Armed Police to Black Neighborhoods . Todd Feathers . vice.com . 19 July 2021 . 26 July 2021 .
  42. Web site: The Shots Heard Round the City . Ellen Hao . South Side Weekly . 19 December 2017 . 26 July 2021 .
  43. Web site: ShotSpotter Keeps Listening After Contracts Expire . Blaisdell . Max . Daley . Jim . South Side Weekly . 24 April 2024 . 24 April 2024 .
  44. News: Inside the controversial US gunshot-detection firm . BBC News . 29 October 2021 . 30 October 2021.
  45. Web site: A cop shoots a black man and a city resumes battle with police union . Lisa Girion . Reade Levinson . . 17 November 2020 . 26 July 2021 .
  46. Web site: A black man risks all to clear his name - and expose the police . Lisa Girion . Reade Levinson . . 17 November 2020 . 26 July 2021 .
  47. Web site: A U.S. city takes on its police union, and the union punches back . Lisa Girion . Reade Levinson . . 17 November 2020 . 26 July 2021 .
  48. Web site: Shotspotter report (PDF) . October 21, 2020 . . 26 July 2021 .
  49. Web site: He Was Shot in the Back By a Cop…Then Spent 18 Months in Jail . Donna Jackel . Narratively . 2 July 2018 . 26 July 2021 .
  50. Web site: Simmons v. Ferrigno, II (6:17-cv-06176) . October 5, 2023 . CourtListener . Free Law Project . 2023-11-21 .
  51. Web site: Police Are Telling ShotSpotter to Alter Evidence From Gunshot-Detecting AI . Todd Feathers . vice.com . 26 July 2021 . 26 July 2021 .
  52. Web site: Williams Frye motion to exclude f 20-CR-0899601 . PDF Host . 26 July 2021 .
  53. Web site: State of Illinois v Michael Williams, 20 CR 0899601, motion for leave to file brief as amici curiae - in support of defendant's motion for a Frye hearing . endpolicesurveillance.com . 3 May 2021 . 26 July 2021 .
  54. Web site: How AI-powered tech landed man in jail with scant evidence. August 19, 2021. AP News. Garance. Burke. Martha. Mendoza. Juliet. Linderman. Michael. Tarm. The company’s methods for identifying gunshots aren’t always guided solely by the technology. ShotSpotter employees can, and often do, change the source of sounds picked up by its sensors after listening to audio recordings, introducing the possibility of human bias into the gunshot detection algorithm. Employees can and do modify the location or number of shots fired at the request of police, according to court records. And in the past, city dispatchers or police themselves could also make some of these changes..
  55. Web site: Chicago will not renew controversial ShotSpotter contract, drawing support, criticism from aldermen . Craig Wall . Eric Horng . ABC7 Chicago . 13 February 2024 . 14 February 2024 .
  56. Web site: Chicago will not renew ShotSpotter contract, Mayor Johnson says . Tahman Bradley . Marisa Rodriguez . Eli Ong . WGN-TV . 14 February 2024 .
  57. Web site: Shots Fired, Pinpointed and Argued Over (Published 2012) . Erica Goode . . 29 May 2012 . 26 July 2021 . subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20120530102453/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/us/shots-heard-pinpointed-and-argued-over.html. May 30, 2012.
  58. Web site: ShotSpotter recording of street argument raises potential privacy issues . FRAGA . BRIAN . southcoasttoday.com . 11 January 2012 . 26 July 2021 .
  59. Web site: WILLIAM J. BRATTON JOINS SHOTSPOTTER'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS - ShotSpotter . ShotSpotter . 15 November 2017 . 26 July 2021 .
  60. Web site: Bratton Gives Revolving Door One More Spin (Published 2013) . J. David Goodman . . 23 December 2013 . 26 July 2021 . subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20131225105256/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/nyregion/bratton-tries-to-untangle-his-corporate-ties.html. December 25, 2013.
  61. Web site: NYPD Commissioner To Privacy Advocates: 'Get A Life' . Christopher Mathias . HuffPost . 25 March 2015 . 26 July 2021 .
  62. Web site: The NYPD's commissioner doesn't understand why people are upset about his new gunshot-tracking system . Nathaniel. Mott . Pando . 25 March 2015 . 26 July 2021 .
  63. Web site: Williams v. City of Chicago . 2022-10-15 . Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center . en-US.
  64. Web site: 2022-07-21 . Complaint. Williams v. City of Chicago, et. al. . 2022-10-14.
  65. Web site: In New York Neighborhood, Police and Tech Company Flout Privacy Policy, Advocates Say . Fola Akinnibi . Sarah Holder . Bloomberg.com . 15 December 2022 . 5 January 2023 .
  66. Web site: Here Are the Secret Locations of ShotSpotter Gunfire Sensors . Dhruv . Mehrotra . Joey Scott . WIRED . 22 February 2024 . 23 February 2024 .
  67. Web site: A losing Republican candidate in N.M. is charged over shootings at homes of Democrats . Ayana Archie . Bill Chappell . NPR.org . 17 January 2023 . 17 January 2023 .
  68. Web site: Kirby. Brendan. 24 July 2023. Federal judge sides with prosecution in dispute over ShotSpotter in Mobile. 25 July 2023. WALA-TV.
  69. Web site: Data Shows ShotSpotter Leads to Dead Ends and Wasted Resources in Pasadena - Knock LA . Scott . Joey . Knock LA . 24 August 2023 . 25 August 2023 .
  70. Web site: COPA RELEASES VIDEO & OTHER MATERIAL FROM OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING NEAR 8500 S. WINCHESTER AVE . chicagocopa.org . 27 February 2024 . 27 February 2024 . “When officers arrived in the area, they observed an individual, who has now been identified as a juvenile, standing near a residence. As one officer exited the vehicle, they heard a loud bang, which was later determined to be fireworks. The officer who exited the vehicle discharged their firearm in the direction of the juvenile, who was not struck by gunfire. At this time, no criminal charges are pending, and no weapon was recovered.” .
  71. Web site: Chicago officer fires shots at man in Gresham . Chicago Sun-Times . 27 January 2024 . 27 February 2024 . While attempting to speak with him, officers saw flashes of light and one of the officers fired his weapon, police said. It wasn’t immediately known if the male was armed. Chicago police initially said the male had fired at the officers. .
  72. Web site: Chicago cop responding to ShotSpotter alert opened fire on boy lighting fireworks, oversight agency says . Sophie Sherry . Chicago Sun-Times . 27 February 2024 . 27 February 2024 . A Chicago police officer responding to a ShotSpotter alert on the South Side opened fire on a boy lighting fireworks, according to newly released video. .
  73. Web site: Feely . Paul . 20 April 2022 . Manchester police look to become first in NH to deploy gunshot detection system . subscription . 2022-08-30 . UnionLeader.com . en.
  74. Web site: Bernstein . Maxine . 2022-07-18 . Community group urges Portland adopt ShotSpotter technology, along with list of 'violent players' to help curb shootings . 2022-08-30 . Oregon Live.
  75. Web site: Craig . Gary . 17 November 2017 . Is shot spotter reliable enough? Critics question human equation behind technology . 2022-08-30 . Democrat and Chronicle . en-US.
  76. Web site: Craig . Gary . 31 May 2018 . Man once accused of attempting to kill a Rochester cop now cleared of all charges . 2022-08-30 . Democrat and Chronicle . en-US.
  77. Web site: Escambia County Sheriff's Office considers new technology to detect gun shots . Coffey . Kelsey . WEAR . 3 February 2023 . 5 February 2023 .
  78. Web site: Antioch adds ShotSpotter gun detection, alert system . JUDITH PRIEVE . The Mercury News . 16 November 2022 . 17 November 2022 .
  79. Web site: Antioch City Council Approves 5-Year Contract for ShotSpotter . ECT . East County Today . 16 November 2022 . 17 November 2022 .
  80. Web site: ShotSpotter gunfire detection system expanded to include Downtown Bakersfield . Jose Franco . kget.com . 4 December 2020 . 3 November 2022 .
  81. Web site: ShotSpotter expansion approved by Fresno City Council . kmph.com . 5 November 2021 . 3 November 2022 .
  82. Web site: Cities Nationwide Dropping ShotSpotter: How Has the Gun Detection Tech Performed in Fresno? . Smith . Edward . GV Wire . 8 July 2024 . 9 July 2024 .
  83. Web site: Oakland police investigate early morning homicide . O. Gloria Okorie . KTVU Fox 2 . 11 December 2022 . 12 December 2022 . A ShotSpotter activation alerted authorities to the scene .
  84. Web site: One shot and killed in Pasadena, police alerted by new 'ShotSpotter' . Matthew Rodriguez . cbsnews.com . 3 May 2022 . 3 November 2022 .
  85. Web site: Juvenile arrested with ghost gun after ShotSpotter activation in Sacramento County . KCRA Staff . kcra.com . 20 January 2022 . 3 November 2022 .
  86. Web site: Sullivan . Cole . Denver Police: controversial 'ShotSpotter' technology helped speed response to Colfax shooting . NBC News 9 . January 21, 2023 . November 10, 2022.
  87. Web site: Man dies in Northeast DC shooting . Susan Phillips . wusa9.com . 27 October 2022 . 30 October 2022 .
  88. Web site: Man accused of shooting ex-girlfriend several times outside her job in Little Haiti. April 25, 2022. Omar. Rodriguez Ortiz. .
  89. Web site: Police investigating after man shot, injured in Liberty City . Mackey . Ryan . WPLG . 28 October 2022 . 30 October 2022 .
  90. Web site: Bibb Co. supervisor defends patrol deputies on delay finding homicide victim after ShotSpotter call . WMAZ . 14 February 2023 . 16 February 2023 .
  91. Web site: Is Macon-Bibb County's ShotSpotter system actually working? . WMAZ . 21 July 2022 . 16 February 2023 .
  92. Web site: Shore . Jake . Savannah spends $489K on ShotSpotter but doesn't keep data on effectiveness . The Current . January 21, 2023 . June 30, 2022.
  93. Web site: Elmwood Park police adding ShotSpotter device to ‘public safety toolbox’ . Chicago Tribune . 8 August 2024 . 8 August 2024 .
  94. Web site: Police investigate early Friday ShotSpotter alert . 25 News . January 21, 2023 . January 20, 2023.
  95. Web site: Springfield to expand ShotSpotter as crime-fighting tool . Patrick . Alyssa . WAND-TV . 20 June 2023 . 21 June 2023 .
  96. Web site: LMPD: Officers investigating third shooting, man shot in California neighborhood. 12 December 2022.
  97. Web site: ShotSpotter activation in Springfield leads to recovery of AR-15 rifle. Ryan Trowbridge. Western Mass News. 17 October 2022. 18 October 2022.
  98. Web site: Cambridge Police Department to Conduct ShotSpotter Testing August 27th. Cambridge Police. 22 August 2019. 15 February 2024.
  99. News: Lawler . Maeve . 2024-03-22 . Somerville considers ending use of gunfire detection technology . 2024-03-22 . WGBH . en.
  100. Web site: Detroit city council postpones vote on expansion of controversial ShotSpotter network . Mann . Priya . Washington . Elizabeth . WDIV . 27 September 2022 . 28 September 2022 . ShotSpotter is currently operating in the 8th and 9th Precincts covering close to seven square miles.Detroit City Council postponed the Tuesday vote for one week, but expanded the existing pilot project in the 8th and 9th precincts through 2023. .
  101. Web site: Vote on $8.5 million expansion of ShotSpotter delayed again by Detroit City Council . Jessica Dupnack . Fox 2 Detroit . 27 September 2022 . 28 September 2022 .
  102. Web site: Detroit City Council renews ShotSpotter funding, delays expansion vote . Randy Wimbley . Fox 2 Detroit . 27 September 2022 . 28 September 2022 . 27 September 2022 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220927114540/https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/shotspotter-vote-in-detroit-tuesday-as-stakeholders-harden-stances-on-controversial-technology .
  103. Web site: Detroit community organizers share ShotSpotter civil liberty concerns . Randy Wimbley . David Komer . Fox 2 Detroit . 4 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  104. Web site: Detroit City Council OKs $7 million ShotSpotter expansion. Sarah Rahal. 11 October 2022. 12 October 2022. The Detroit News. The Detroit City Council on Tuesday approved a $7 million expansion of ShotSpotter after months of debate over the controversial gun detection system. Five hours into the Tuesday meeting, the council voted 5-4 on the expansion of the aerial gunfire detection system that uses sensors to pinpoint the locations of gunshot activity..
  105. Web site: Detroit City Council approves $7 million ShotSpotter expansion . Briana Rice . Michigan Radio . 11 October 2022 . 30 October 2022 .
  106. Web site: Gunshot Detection Technology Spurs Debate Over Policing and Surveillance . Sarah Holder . Fola Akinnibi . Bloomberg.com . 27 October 2022 . 30 October 2022 . Jonathan Manes, an attorney with the MacArthur Justice Center, says that ShotSpotter can create a situation where alerts flood neighborhoods with officers, leading to over-policing and surveillance of vulnerable communities. The center is leading the pending class action suit against Chicago, working on behalf of residents who say they were unfairly targeted based on faulty ShotSpotter alerts. One man was wrongly accused of murder and spent 11 months in jail before prosecutors dropped the case; another was arrested after a weapons search turned up drugs. He was released the next day and charges were dropped. The defendants are arguing that the technology has had a racially disparate impact, and are asking the court to issue an order barring police from using ShotSpotter alerts as the sole basis to search them. .
  107. Web site: Cape Girardeau Police Department to use ShotSpotter to curb celebratory gunfire over holiday weekend . Danny Walter . seMissourian.com . 28 June 2023 . 28 June 2023 . The Cape Girardeau Police Department will use the city's ShotSpotter Gunfire Data and Alerts technology to curb celebratory gunfire over the Fourth of July holiday. .
  108. Web site: OPD investigates shooting that left one man critically hurt . KETV . 31 October 2022 . 31 October 2022 .
  109. Web site: "Great addition": APD says ShotSpotter helping with a number of investigations . Alexa Skonieski . KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos . 24 October 2022 . 25 October 2022 .
  110. Web site: Is Albuquerque's crime-fighting tool ShotSpotter worth the $3 million price tag? . Matthew Reise . Albuquerque Journal . 18 March 2023 . 6 April 2023 .
  111. Web site: N.J. city to expand controversial gunshot detection system using $1M grant . Steve Strunsky . nj . 14 September 2023 . 15 September 2023 .
  112. Web site: City of Syracuse to expand ShotSpotter gunshot detection system to Northside . 2 March 2022 .
  113. Web site: Controversial ShotSpotter expanded to troubled Columbus neighborhood . Buchanan . Tyler . Neese . Alissa Widman . Axios . 14 February 2023 . 16 February 2023 .
  114. Web site: Cleveland City Council nears approval of dramatic expansion of Shotspotter . Matthew Richmond . Ideastream Public Media . 6 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 . For the past two years, Cleveland police have used Shotspotter in a 3-square-mile area in the 4th police district, primarily in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. If approved by finance committee and the full council, the expansion would cover 13 miles spread out citywide. .
  115. Web site: Cleveland City Council approves controversial ShotSpotter contract: Stimulus Watch . Lucas Daprile . cleveland.com . 10 October 2022 . 12 October 2022 . One main reason police have been pushing for the technology is the idea that it saves lives by allowing first responders to find gunshot victims quickly. Like many of ShotSpotter’s key claims, researchers are still studying whether these claims hold water..
  116. Web site: Use of Shotspotter alerts in Cleveland arrests is raising constitutional concerns . Matthew Richmond . WKSU . 5 October 2022 . 12 October 2022 . Cleveland Police are seeking an expansion of the gunshot detection technology Shotspotter, from about three square miles to 13 square miles, but body cam footage provided by the city shows officers using the technology to justify potentially unconstitutional stops and searches. .
  117. Web site: 5 shot during funeral service at church . Ivan Pereira . 6abc Philadelphia . 29 October 2022 . 30 October 2022 .
  118. Web site: Officials say ShotSpotter is a 'godsend' for Aldine. Still, gunfire rages on. . Bauman . Anna . Houston Chronicle . 19 May 2022 . 12 July 2023 .
  119. Web site: POLICE FIND GUNSHOT VICTIM AFTER SHOTSPOTTER ALERT ON HOUSTON'S SOUTHSIDE, HPD SAYS . ABC 13 . January 21, 2023 . December 27, 2022.
  120. Web site: Houston's $3.5M ShotSpotter program nets 99 arrests in two years. Critics say it's not worth it. . Cheng . Yilun . Houston Chronicle . 22 February 2023. 23 February 2023 .
  121. Web site: VB ShotSpotter technology identifies 3 gunfire incidents in one day . Jane Alvarez-Wertz . WAVY.com . 17 October 2022 . 18 October 2022 .
  122. Web site: Tacoma police to test gunshot-detection system. Shotspotter has faced criticism elsewhere . Puneet Bsanti . Tacoma News Tribune . 18 April 2024 . 20 April 2024 .
  123. Web site: Tacoma Police Department announces new 'ShotSpotter Technology' to help reduce crime . Hylton . Chelsea . Staff . KOMO News . KOMO . 15 August 2024 . 16 August 2024 .
  124. Web site: Is ShotSpotter gunshot detection tech working for Milwaukee? . Holmes . Isiah . KPVI . 8 December 2022 . 12 December 2022 .
  125. Web site: Gunshot detecting technology "ShotSpotter" coming to Pensacola . Cody Long . WKRG News 5 . 20 June 2023 . 21 June 2023 . The Pensacola Police Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office will soon be using ShotSpotter. It’s technology that uses audio sensors to determine where a gunshot is fired. The Mobile Police Department has used the technology for almost a year and has seen success..
  126. Web site: Holyoke will install ShotSpotter, but some are skeptical of gunfire tech . Nirvani Williams . wbur.org . 27 October 2022 . 30 October 2022 . A ShotSpotter spokesperson said the technology is currently used by 11 cities in Massachusetts, including Pittsfield and Springfield. .
  127. Web site: Controversial gunshot detector sensors to be placed in Sparks. 6 December 2022. Freixys Casado. KOLO.
  128. Web site: 'Controversial' gunshot detection program ShotSpotter eyes Phillipsburg for next contract . Glenn Epps . lehighvalleylive . 22 June 2023 . 22 June 2023 . Phillipsburg .
  129. Web site: Gunfire detection system ShotSpotter may be up and running in Buffalo's Masten District in May or June . Reporter . Aaron Besecker News Staff . Buffalo News . 10 December 2022 . 12 December 2022 . The Buffalo News .
  130. Web site: Plans to test ShotSpotter, gunfire detection system, moving ahead in Masten District . Reporter . Aaron Besecker News Staff . Buffalo News . 31 August 2022 . 12 December 2022 .
  131. Web site: Fayetteville City Council votes to move ahead with controversial gunshot detection software. Lexi Solomon. Fayetteville Observer . 16 November 2022 . 16 November 2022 .
  132. Web site: Residents question whether ShotSpotter gunshot technology is right for Fayetteville - Up and Coming Weekly . Futch . Michael . Up and Coming Weekly . 9 December 2022. 12 December 2022 .
  133. Web site: Fayetteville will give quarterly updates on ShotSpotter, gunshot detection technology - Carolina Public Press . Sessoms . Ben . Carolina Public Press . 13 December 2022. 14 December 2022 .
  134. Web site: Winston-Salem Police Department launches ShotSpotter technology in effort to reduce gun violence . Lee Anne Denyer . WXII12.com . 22 September 2021 . 28 June 2023 .
  135. Web site: Winston-Salem police will no longer use ShotSpotter . Cassie Fambro . FOX8 WGHP . 2 August 2024 . 3 August 2024 .
  136. Web site: York City Council revisits controversial ShotSpotter and video camera programs. Matt Enright. 23 January 2023. 24 January 2023. York Dispatch.
  137. Web site: Is York City ready for ShotSpotter and a citywide camera network?. Noel Miller. 3 February 2023. 5 February 2023. York Dispatch.
  138. Web site: As some cities ditch ShotSpotter, Baltimore County launches $738k pilot . DeVille . Taylor . The Baltimore Banner . 26 July 2023 . 28 July 2023 .
  139. Web site: Lawsuit: Chicago police misused ShotSpotter in murder case . GARANCE BURKE . MICHAEL TARM . AP NEWS . 21 July 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  140. Web site: Activists urge Chicago to end multi-million dollar contract with ShotSpotter . Megan Hickey . cbsnews.com . 6 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  141. Web site: What Happens at the End of a ShotSpotter Contract? . Stroud . Matt . Illinois Answers Project . 2 June 2023 . 5 June 2023 .
  142. Web site: New Orleans City Council considers redeploying gun detection tech to fight crime . Paul Murphy . wwltv.com . 27 February 2023 . 1 March 2023 .
  143. Web site: After Too Many Shots Missed, Fall River, Mass., Ends Deal with ShotSpotter . Brian Fraga . GovTech . 23 April 2018 . 5 June 2023 .
  144. Web site: Charlotte ends contract with ShotSpotter gunshot detection system . Cleve R. Wootson Jr. . Charlotte Observer . 10 February 2016 . 9 October 2022 .
  145. Web site: Durham leaders discuss controversial ShotSpotter technology at public meeting . staff . WRAL.com . 8 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  146. Web site: Durham votes to execute 1-year contract with ShotSpotter . staff . WRAL.com . 19 September 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  147. Web site: 'They are asking for solutions': Durham city leaders host public forum amid ShotSpotter concerns . Cindy Bae . ABC11 Raleigh-Durham . 9 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  148. Web site: ShotSpotter program finally going live in Durham . ABC11 Raleigh-Durham . 13 December 2022 . 14 December 2022 .
  149. Web site: Emails show where Durham has installed ShotSpotter sensors . Sarah Krueger . WRAL.com . 4 April 2023 . 6 April 2023 .
  150. Web site: Duke study on ShotSpotter shows some promising metrics, yet lingering community skepticism . WRAL . WRAL.com . 23 February 2024 .
  151. Web site: Durham ends experiment with ShotSpotter gunfire detection software . MARY HELEN MOORE . Raleigh News & Observer . 5 March 2024 . 5 March 2024 .
  152. Web site: Explainer: Understanding the controversial 'ShotSpotter' program that police are ending in Dayton . Cornelius Frolik . dayton-daily-news . 7 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  153. Web site: Dayton Police Department won't be renewing ShotSpotter contract for 2023 . Alejandro Figueroa . WYSO . 6 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  154. Web site: Why Dayton quit ShotSpotter, a surveillance tool many cities still embrace - Ohio Capital Journal . Stephen Starr . Ohio Capital Journal . 18 July 2023 . 18 July 2023 .
  155. Web site: Canton replacing ShotSpotter with new system. 9 October 2022. 14 August 2019. Kelly Byer. Akron Beacon Journal.
  156. Web site: Shotspotter is the City of Cape Town's costly and deadly mistake . Rafiq Wagiet . CapeTalk . 22 March 2021 . 16 October 2022 .
  157. Web site: Cape parties say City's ShotSpotter missed the mark on crime . Githahu . Mwangi . iol.co.za . 18 March 2021 . 16 October 2022 .
  158. Web site: Seattle mayor budgets $1M for controversial gunfire detection tech like ShotSpotter . Vianna Davila . San Antonio Express-News . 15 August 2017 . 9 October 2022 .
  159. Web site: APD says no to ShotSpotter technology again . Kristin Crowley . 11Alive.com . 23 November 2022 . 24 November 2022 .
  160. Web site: Atlanta Police said this crime-fighting system isn't worth the price tag. So why are they testing it again? . Kristin Crowley . 11Alive.com . 5 April 2022 . 24 November 2022 .
  161. Web site: 'I was surprised': Atlanta Police trying out program again after it said it wasn't worth $280K price tag . Kristin Crowley . Lindsey Basye . 11Alive.com . 9 September 2021 . 24 November 2022 .
  162. Web site: Portland to change course, accept competitive bids for gunshot detection pilot . Jonathan Levinson . opb . 9 January 2023 . 10 January 2023 .
  163. Web site: Police Gunshot Detector Continues to Roil Portland Community . Eric Tegethoff . publicnewsservice.org . 9 January 2023 . 10 January 2023 .
  164. Web site: Portland auditor finds insufficient evidence ShotSpotter violated city code . Jonathan Levinson . opb . 4 April 2023 . 6 April 2023 .
  165. Web site: Portland will not pursue gunshot detection technology at present, mayor says . kgw.com . 1 June 2023 . 1 June 2023 .
  166. Web site: Seattle mayor budgets $1M for controversial gunfire detection tech like ShotSpotter . Santos . Melissa . Axios . 7 October 2022 . 9 October 2022 .
  167. News: Seattle scraps plan for gunfire detection tech . Melissa . Santos . December 1, 2022 . Axios .
  168. Web site: ShotSpotter tech nipped from Seattle budget despite mayor's push . Frank Sumrall . MyNorthwest.com . 23 November 2022 . 24 November 2022 .
  169. Web site: Harrell shelves plans for controversial gunshot detection technology . David Kroman . The Seattle Times . 31 May 2024 . 2 June 2024 . Mayor Bruce Harrell is shelving plans to roll out gunshot detection equipment in Seattle, putting the controversial technology on ice yet again after years of back and forth in City Hall. .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "ShotSpotter".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.