Aldermen Seek Public Hearing On Questions About Accuracy Of Police ShotSpotter Technology

Our Take

Credit to CBS Chicago for keeping the pressure on ShotSpotter, the gunshot-detection system Chicago has poured millions into despite years of reporting questioning whether it actually works as advertised. That aldermen now want a public hearing tells you something: the people who approved this contract still don't have straight answers about its accuracy, and they're finding out the same way the rest of us do, through investigative journalism rather than transparency from CPD or the vendor.

This is the pattern with surveillance tech across the board. Cities buy first, ask questions later, and by the time anyone demands a public accounting, the system is already woven into daily policing and hard to unwind. ShotSpotter and ALPR networks like Flock Safety get sold on the same pitch: trust the algorithm, trust the vendor's numbers, don't ask too many questions about false positives or who's reviewing the data. The public hearing being sought here isn't just about one contract, it's about whether elected officials get any real say before this stuff goes live in their neighborhoods.

If you want to see what's already been deployed near you without waiting for a hearing, check our camera map, and if you'd rather not wait for your city council to catch up, our take-action page has ways to push back now.