S.T.O.P. Report Details ShotSpotter’s Gunshot Technology Misfires

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For Immediate Release

S.T.O.P. Report Details ShotSpotter’s Gunshot Technology Misfires
Report shows how cities squander tax dollars on ShotSpotter’s faulty gunshot detection technology.

(New York, NY, 7/14/2022) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, released ShotSpotter and the Misfires of Gunshot Detection Technology, detailing how ShotSpotter’s error-prone software targets Black and Latinx neighborhoods, increasing the risk of police violence, and leaves levels of gun crime largely unchanged. The report highlights permit-to-purchase laws and policies against the right-to-carry as more impactful strategies to reduce firearm homicides.

SEE: Report – ShotSpotter and the Misfires of Gunshot Detection Technology
https://www.stopspying.org/shotspotter

“Americans are desperate to feel safe, but we have to look at what surveillance companies are really selling us,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “No one should have to fear that they’ll be wrongly targeted by officers for a car backfire or firework. Given the number of false reports, they should rename the company FireworkSpotter. When a member of the public makes a false police report, they can be charged with a crime, but there are seemingly no consequences when ShotSpotter falsely flags a gunshot. This technology is worse than a gimmick, it can put people in harm’s way.”

“The killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago highlights the stakes of this debate,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Research Director Eleni Manis. “With ShotSpotter sensors concentrated in Black and Latinx neighborhoods, we can’t wave off these tragedies as anomalies. Our report shows that there is no magic technology to accurately detect the sound of a gunshot, and the risks of police getting it wrong can be life or death for BIPOC communities. Gun violence is out of control in the United States, but we must invest in programs and legislation that meaningfully address its root causes, not expensive technological boondoggles.”

SEE: The Hill - Police technology under scrutiny following Chicago shooting
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/549612-police-technology-under-scrutiny-following-chicago-shooting/

Vice - Gunshot-Detecting Tech Is Summoning Armed Police to Black Neighborhoods
https://www.vice.com/en/article/88nd3z/gunshot-detecting-tech-is-summoning-armed-police-to-black-neighborhoods

Key Findings Include:

U.S. cities are squandering money on ShotSpotter’s unproven gunshot surveillance technology, including millions of federal dollars allocated for pandemic relief;
ShotSpotter increases police activity, but wastes officers’ time, with more than 90 percent of ShotSpotter deployments appearing to be useless;
ShotSpotter sensors are disproportionately placed in Black and Latinx neighborhoods, compounding the over-policing of communities of color;
ShotSpotter fails communities, increasing police activity and the risk of police violence without producing any significant effect on gun crime;
U.S. cities must prioritize solving and reducing gun violence through proven gun control legislation, not inaccurate and costly gunshot detection technology.

The report comes several weeks after the Supreme Court struck down most of the country’s gun control laws by invalidating New York State’s limits on concealed carry of firearms. It also comes after President Biden signed a bipartisan gun reform bill into law that has been criticized for not going far enough in curbing the nation’s endemic mass shootings.

SEE: Slate - Clarence Thomas’ Maximalist Second Amendment Ruling Is a Nightmare for Gun Control
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/06/supreme-court-new-york-concealed-carry-law-gun-control-bruen.html

Politico - ‘Be absolutely furious’: Dems want more from Biden after Highland Park
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/06/biden-gun-bill-highland-park-shooting-00044166

The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.

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CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn

PressWilliam OwenJuly 14, 2022