Are ShotSpotter’s implementation and machine algorithm racially biased, with sensors often being placed predominantly in neighborhoods of color?

There is no evidence to support this claim.

Critics have raised concerns that ShotSpotter contributes to over-policing, particularly in black and brown neighborhoods. But customers themselves – not SoundThinking – decide where to deploy ShotSpotter based on objective historical data. Gun violence does not affect every community the same way. Areas that experience higher rates of gun violence receive priority. That only makes sense because that is where victimization occurs. An unfortunate reality is that places that suffer the most are often Black and brown neighborhoods. Critics would deny these neighborhoods—and the good people that live in them—a crucial tool to help respond to chronic gun violence.

ShotSpotter’s mission is to address gun violence where it happens, regardless of demographics. Ignoring gunfire in these areas would only perpetuate inequities, not resolve them.

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