Gunshot detection system fails to reduce violent crime

An audio surveillance technology the Kansas City Police Department uses to detect the location of gunshots has failed to reduce violent crime, a new study says.

An academic research project funded by the National Institute of Justice found that the use of ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection technology, resulted in a few benefits but didn’t meet its original goal of increased prosecutions of gun-related crimes.

ShotSpotter is an “acoustic surveillance technology,” according to its manufacturer, with audio sensors placed in strategic areas — typically on rooftops or utility poles — that detect gunfire, locate the area, then send the real-time data to police via 911, officers’ desktops, smartphones or smart watches.

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