Detroit is spending millions on gunshot detection tech – is it an effective tool in the fight against violent crime?

June 11, 2026

Detroit is considering extending its contract with ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection technology that uses acoustic sensors to alert police to potential shootings, at an additional cost of $2. 06 million for nine months. While Police Chief Todd Bettison claims the system has led to numerous arrests and helped achieve closure on cases, independent research from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Rochester Institute of Technology found only two arrests resulted from nearly 6,000 alerts during the system's first two years of operation.

Who is affected

Detroit residents, particularly those living in the approximately 39 square miles where ShotSpotter is deployed
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison and the Detroit Police Department
Detroit City Council members who must decide on the contract extension
Families of shooting victims seeking justice and closure
Researchers Divya Ramjee and Tian An Wong studying the technology's effectiveness
SoundThinking, Inc. (formerly ShotSpotter), the company providing the technology
Detroit taxpayers funding the $2.06 million extension and the original $7 million four-year contract

What action is being taken

The Detroit Police Department has requested a nine-month extension for ShotSpotter
The city is considering other vendors to provide gun detection technology
Researchers are currently working to FOIA data from the most recent time period to fact-check Chief Bettison's arrest claims
A research study on ShotSpotter's effectiveness in Detroit is currently under peer review

Why it matters

The decision matters because it involves substantial public investment ($2.06 million for just nine months) in technology whose effectiveness remains unproven. Research showing only two arrests from nearly 6,000 alerts during the first two years raises serious questions about value for taxpayers, especially when multiple major cities have discontinued the technology due to cost-benefit concerns. While Detroit has achieved a 60-year low in homicides, researchers are attempting to determine whether ShotSpotter played any role in this reduction or if it simply reflects nationwide crime trends. The lack of transparency around the data, which remains proprietary to the company rather than publicly owned, further complicates assessment of whether this technology genuinely improves public safety or merely creates the appearance of action without meaningful results.

What's next

The current ShotSpotter contract expires on June 30, 2026
Detroit City Council will need to vote on whether to approve the nine-month, $2.06 million extension
The city will evaluate other vendors for gun detection technology during the extension period
Researchers will FOIA recent data to verify Chief Bettison's claims about arrests in 2025

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com