Critics argue gunshot-detecting technology ineffective as Oakland looks to renew contract

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- In the East Bay, the city of Oakland is set to decide next week whether or not to renew a contract with the Fremont-based company that provides gunshot-detecting technology.

It's known as ShotSpotter, and it uses microphone-equipped sensors to detect gunshots.

Police say it is a necessary tool in their arsenal, but critics argue it hasn't done much to curb gun violence.

As Oakland continues to grapple with gun violence, Oakland police say the ShotSpotter technology has been huge help in tackling crime.

"It is very important for us. It tells us the number of rounds that were fired. It gives us the location that gives us a faster response to get there, so we can locate the victim," said Sgt. Hui Nguyen, president of the Oakland Police Officers' Association.

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ShotSpotter uses microphone-equipped sensors to detect gunshots and then transmits the data to police dispatchers.

Nguyen admits that ShotSpotter isn't perfect. But he states it still gives police a more accurate location than a 911 call.

"If we go back to the old days, when I first started, there is a time where we don't locate the victim's body until 10 hours later or the following morning. Especially at nighttime when we are out there working the night shift," Nguyen said.

Next week, Oakland city officials will consider whether or not to renew a three-year contract with Sound Thinking, a Fremont-based company that operates ShotSpotter. It would be at cost of almost $800,000 annually.

In a memo dated March 27, 2024, then-Interim Police Chief Daren Allison reported that between Jan. 1, 2023 and Dec. 31, 2023, ShotSpotter alerted OPD of 8,318 gunshot incidents. That led police to 199 shooting cases: 29 connected to homicides, 170 linked to assault with a firearm. That's mean roughly 22% of alerts lead to crimes.

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Critics argue those numbers are not good enough.

"When you look at Oakland's own data, about 80% of the ShotSpotter alerts were wild goose chases. Where police were sent to a place where nothing was happening at all. And only 0.3% were for homicides. And we are taking about 8,000 alerts in the year 2023," said James Burch, deputy director of the Anti Police-Terror Project.

Opponents of ShotSpotter say the technology does little to curb gun violence or to help solve crimes. They also raise concerns over civil rights violations. Burch points to major cities like Houston, Atlanta and Chicago, which dropped ShotSpotter over similar concerns.

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But Tom Chittum, senior vice president of Forensic Services at Sound Thinking, points to the more than 170 cities that do use the technology. He said it's a proven tool police departments rely on.

"We know that ShotSpotter routinely leads police to gunshot wound victims, where there was no corresponding 911 call. Those are victims who might not get the life-saving aid that they need but for the ShotSpotter alert," Chittum said.

Burch points out that Oakland is deep in a cycle of violence, and that the city would be better to invest in proactive programs, like violence prevention strategies.

"There is a lot of money being spent on responding to a gun after it's been fired. Where the money really needs to be spent, is before a gun has been fired at all," Burch said.