The Company Behind ShotSpotter Says It Curbs Gun Violence. But Some Cities Fear It’s An Empty Promise.

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Good morning, readers.

ShotSpotter, the controversial gunfire detection technology owned and operated by SoundThinking, has a growing presence in the United States. Over 180 communities now use the technology, including six North Carolina cities—Fayetteville, New Bern, Wilmington, Rocky Mount, Greenville, and Goldsboro.

But in the last several years, ShotSpotter has lost its credibility with a number of other cities after local officials say the company failed to meet its charter. Leaders in Durham, Winston-Salem and Charlotte all declined to renew contracts with SoundThinking. 

Last week, my colleagues at The Assembly, CityView and I collaborated on a comprehensive story about the future of ShotSpotter in North Carolina and how different municipalities evaluated whether to retain SoundThinking’s services. While each city wrestled with similar public safety problems, that was no guarantee that their leaders and community members would reach the same conclusion on whether ShotSpotter was the right solution.

Collaborating across the Assembly network to stitch this story together reinforced for me the interconnectedness of our communities. Each city is unique, and also not so different, giving us ample opportunities to learn from our neighbors.

Read the full story on the future of ShotSpotter here and have a good Wednesday.

 —Justin

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