Detroit City Council to weigh in on ShotSpotter renewal ahead of contract's expiration
Detroit may soon spend another $2 million on ShotSpotter, a technology that uses microphones placed throughout the city to detect gunfire in high-violence neighborhoods.
The current contract expires on June 30, but the Detroit City Council is expected to discuss whether to extend it through March 2027. But as the council prepares to debate whether the technology is worth the cost, some city leaders say they still want proof it is actually working.
"I don't have any proof that it's been effective. There's nothing that tells us that it's been effective, and you have a number of people in the community that are totally against it," said Detroit City Council Member-At-Large Mary Waters.
Detroit first approved a $7 million contract in 2022 using general fund dollars for audio surveillance and investigative purposes.
Waters says she previously opposed ShotSpotter and has questions about whether the public safety benefits justify the cost.
"They are not. I mean, the costs actually outweigh the benefits, and that's it. In a nutshell, it does, and we've got to make sure that we're fiscally responsible," said Waters.
In a statement, Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero said, "ShotSpotter may be a tool to help investigate suspected gunshots, but I am not convinced it's worth the multi-million dollar price tag extension."
"Where Detroit has seen success in increasing public safety, is our evidence-based community violence intervention program, which centers relationship building, connection to wraparound services, and more," Santiago-Romero added. "Combined with other people-centered investments such as affordable housing, transportation, and recreational programming, I believe we can continue to reduce and prevent crime."
Others say the conversation should also include what happens before gunfire ever breaks out.
"We believe in community violence intervention really being preventative, having the relationships and providing the resources necessary to deal with the root causes of violence," said DuJuan "Zoe" Kennedy, executive director of FORCE Detroit.
Kennedy says technology like ShotSpotter may help police respond after gunfire, but says city leaders should also look at investing in community violence prevention.
"If you're saying this is combating gun violence, maybe you need to design a metric system that substantiates or legitimizes that claim," said Kennedy.
CBS News Detroit reached out to Detroit police, requesting an interview and asking how the department measures ShotSpotter's effectiveness, but the department says it is not commenting at this time.
The city council's Public Health and Safety Committee is expected to take up the discussion on Monday, May 18, as city leaders decide whether the technology is worth another multi-million-dollar investment.
