Why Everyone is Stuck with AI Surveillance (Except Chicago)
The short version: Slidebean's Chicago investigation shows how ShotSpotter's false-alarm-riddled audio surveillance became permanent infrastructure cities can't easily unwind — a warning sign for ALPR networks too.
Our Take
Slidebean's deep dive into ShotSpotter is worth your time because it's the same playbook we track every day with license plate readers: a vendor sells a city on 'AI-powered public safety,' the tech underdelivers on its core promise, and yet the surveillance infrastructure sticks around anyway. Chicago's experience with thousands of false alerts and quietly reclassified audio data is a case study in what happens when nobody outside the company can audit the black box making the calls.
The parallel to Flock Safety's ALPR network is direct. Once a city signs the contract and the cameras or microphones go up, the sunk cost, the vendor lobbying, and the political fear of looking 'soft on crime' make it brutally hard to walk it back — even when the data shows the system isn't doing what was promised. Chicago eventually cut ties with ShotSpotter after years of pressure from residents and researchers. That's the model: public scrutiny works, but only if people know the systems exist and keep pushing.
If ShotSpotter's audio surveillance concerns you, Flock's camera network covering your daily drives should too. Check our map to see what's already deployed near you, and use our take-action guide to push your city council before another 'temporary' surveillance contract becomes permanent infrastructure.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Slidebean, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.