Since 2007, the police in Boston have been using ShotSpotter technology to help them identify the location and timing of gunshots. This technology, created by SoundThinking, involves acoustic sensors that are strategically placed throughout the city. The company claims that these sensors allow the police to quickly detect and respond to shootings, even if no one calls 911.
However, with Boston’s ShotSpotter contract set to expire in June, the ACLU of Massachusetts has released a new report questioning the reliability of the technology. According to the ACLU’s analysis of over 1,300 Boston police reports, nearly 70% of ShotSpotter alerts did not lead to any evidence of shots being fired.
Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Project at the ACLU of Massachusetts, and Tom Chittum, SoundThinking’s senior vice president of Analytics and Forensic Services, are set to discuss the role and impacts of ShotSpotter in Boston. To stay updated on this issue, you can subscribe to the GBH YouTube channel or follow GBH News on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
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