Denver leaders are deciding the future of gunshot detection technology in the city
The short version: Denver7 reports city leaders must decide whether to renew Denver PD's ShotSpotter-style gunshot detection contract with SoundThinking before it expires in 2026.
Our Take
Credit to Denver7 for digging into a decision that often gets rubber-stamped without public debate: whether to keep paying SoundThinking for acoustic gunshot detection. These microphone networks get sold as a narrow public-safety tool, but they're part of the same surveillance infrastructure buildout we track with license plate readers — quiet city council votes, vendor contracts renewed on autopilot, and little independent audit of whether the tech actually delivers what it promises.
Cities from Chicago to Atlanta have canceled similar contracts after finding high false-positive rates and minimal impact on prosecutions, while the underlying sensor networks remain in place, often expandable for other listening or data-fusion purposes. Denver's 2026 deadline is exactly the kind of moment where public pressure can actually change an outcome, before the next multi-year contract locks the city in again.
If you're in Denver, this is the time to show up to council meetings and ask hard questions about cost, accuracy, and data sharing. Check our camera map to see what surveillance infrastructure is already deployed near you, and visit take-action for tools to push back before these contracts renew themselves in the dark.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Denver7, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.