ShotSpotter technology working in South Bend

Our Take

WSBT's segment gives South Bend PD a clean win: ShotSpotter allegedly pointed officers to a shooting suspect fast. Good police work makes good local news, and we're not disputing that a company's sensors picked up something that night. But "the algorithm worked this time" is exactly the kind of anecdote these companies love to have broadcast, because it's the success story that never gets a follow-up segment when the tech misfires, over-alerts on fireworks, or sends cops into a neighborhood expecting gunfire that never happened.

That's the pattern that's earned ShotSpotter well-documented criticism in cities like Chicago, where audits found the system rarely leads to evidence of a gun crime and can send officers into hyper-aggressive stops based on a noise. It's also expensive, and once a city buys in, there's little public accounting of accuracy rates or false-alert numbers. South Bend residents deserve to see that data before anyone declares victory.

ShotSpotter rarely operates alone anymore — it's increasingly stitched together with license plate readers, camera networks, and other always-on surveillance infrastructure that expands with zero public vote. If you want to see what's already watching your streets, check our camera map, and if you want to push back on this kind of quiet expansion, our take-action page has next steps.