Detroit City Council delays decision on ShotSpotter contract extension

Detroit City Council members are hitting pause on a decision about whether to spend another roughly $2 million to extend the city's ShotSpotter contract.

Detroit police are asking the city council to extend ShotSpotter through March 2027 while the city evaluates other gunshot detection options.

But after a sometimes tense committee discussion Monday, council members stopped short of a decision, asking police for more information before signing off on more taxpayer money.

"I can tell you that it has been invaluable for the Detroit Police Department," said Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison.

Police defended ShotSpotter as an investigative tool, saying it helps officers respond faster to shootings, find evidence, and sometimes arrive before a 911 call comes in.

During Monday's presentation, DPD pointed to what it says is a roughly 40 percent drop in gunshot alerts in coverage areas, while also describing cases where officers responded to gunfire minutes before someone called 911.

Public comment on Monday was largely against the contract, with some advocates arguing Detroit should invest more in community violence intervention programs instead of surveillance technology.

"When the city invests money into community violence interventions, however, gun violence can be addressed proactively," said Molly Menning.

Several council members pushed police for more data, questioning whether ShotSpotter itself is reducing crime or if other investments are playing a bigger role.

"If we removed ShotSpotter and we continue to invest in CVI, if you would still continue to see a reduction of crime, which saves us money from spending millions of dollars for technology that supports billionaires and supports data collection versus putting it into our communities and keeping it here," said Detroit city councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero.

While police urged the council to keep coverage in place as the city explores other options, some members said they still aren't ready to move forward without more answers.

"Quite frankly, I'm still trying to figure out whether or not this is worth the money," said Santiago-Romero.

Council members plan to revisit the issue next week after requesting more information from the Detroit police.