Recently, New York City’s comptroller released an audit revealing that only 13 percent of alerts generated by the ShotSpotter system could be confirmed as actual gunfire incidents over an eight-month period. The auditors criticized the NYPD for lacking transparency in publishing data about the system’s accuracy, deeming their accountability measures as inadequate. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of the tool and the reliability of the alerts it produces.
Following similar scrutiny, Champaign and Chicago decided to terminate their contracts with Flock Safety and SoundThinking, respectively. Flock Safety’s senior vice president, Josh Thomas, defended the Raven system’s accuracy, claiming it detects gunshots with over 90 percent accuracy. However, the key issue is not just about detecting gunfire but also about the overall effectiveness and impact of these systems in addressing gun violence.
Eric Piza, a criminology professor at Northeastern University, conducted in-depth studies on gunshot detection systems in urban areas. His research indicated that police responded more swiftly to shooting incidents identified by automated alerts, but it did not lead to a decrease in gun-related crimes or higher rates of solving such cases. Additionally, the presence of gunshot sensors was linked to a higher likelihood of unfounded shots-fired reports, raising doubts about the system’s reliability in accurately detecting gunfire.
The New York City comptroller advised the NYPD to reassess its $22 million contract with SoundThinking before renewal, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive performance evaluation. Meanwhile, San Jose’s Digital Privacy Office suggested that the police department should focus on enhancing the Raven system’s accuracy to continue using it effectively for investigating violent gun crimes. This underscores the importance of continuous evaluation and improvement in ensuring the reliability of gunshot detection technologies.
While gunshot detection systems may offer certain benefits like faster police response times and supplementary evidence for criminal investigations, their overall impact on reducing gun violence remains uncertain. The issues highlighted in various audits and research studies point to the need for greater transparency, accountability, and accuracy in implementing these technologies. As law enforcement agencies grapple with the complexity of addressing gun violence, it is crucial to critically evaluate the role of gunshot detection systems and their effectiveness in enhancing public safety.
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