SHOT DETECTIONI Studied ShotSpotter in Chicago and Kansas City – Here’s What People in Detroit and the More Than 167 Other Cities and Towns Using This Technology Should Know
One method Detroit and other cities facing high levels of gun violence have employed is gunshot detection technology, specifically the industry-leading ShotSpotter product, which uses acoustic sensors to notify police when the system hears gunfire. Since 2020, my colleagues and I have conducted the largest study on this technology. Our research was designed to test both the efficiency and effectiveness of this technology.
Like many large cities in the U.S., Detroit’s gun violence rate has fluctuated since the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The city’s murder rate increased nearly 20% that year, meaning the city had the second-highest violent crime rate after Memphis, Tennessee, among cities with more than 100,000 residents.
However, by the end of 2023, nonfatal shootings dropped nearly 16% from the prior year and homicides returned to pre-pandemic levels, with this reduction continuing so far in 2024.
Focusing on citywide crime rates, however, can hide significant local variations. Research shows that in most cities, fewer than 5% of city blocks account for about 50% of all crime. This means a small number of residents are at the highest risk of becoming the victim of crime, even when overall rates decline.
High-profile incidents, like the recent mass shooting that killed two and injured 19 at a Detroit block party in the city’s Mohican Regent neighborhood, highlight that gun violence remains a significant threat to these vulnerable communities.
One method Detroit and other cities facing high levels of gun violence have employed is gunshot detection technology, specifically the industry-leading ShotSpotter product, which uses acoustic sensors to notify police when the system hears gunfire.
Since 2020, my colleagues and I have conducted the largest study on this technology, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice. Our study used over 15 years of data from Chicago and Kansas City, comparing ShotSpotter target areas with similar control areas not covered.
Our findings were published in a technical report to NIJ and in five peer-reviewed journal articles as of July 2024. Our research has important implications for public safety, given the popularity of ShotSpotter.
More than 170 cities and towns across the United States have adopted ShotSpotter – the industry-leading gunshot detection technology system manufactured by SoundThinking – with costs ranging from US$65,000 to $90,000 per square mile per year and a one-time initiation fee of $10,000 per square mile. Detroit’s $7 million contract covers 40 square miles.
However, ShotSpotter is controversial. Critics argue that it is unreliable, does not meaningfully improve public safety and leads to overpolicing. Criticism has led to cities like Chicago to cancel their contracts. Others, such as Portland, Oregon, decided not to pursue the technology in favor of alternative strategies.
Debates about ShotSpotter are ongoing in other cities like Boston and New York.
