Detroit Weighs ShotSpotter Renewal as Data Raises Cost-Benefit Questions

The city has spent $7 million on the gunshot detection system, while response-time data shows mixed results.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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As Detroit's contract for the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system nears expiration, an analysis of performance data raises concerns about the cost-effectiveness of the technology. While police view ShotSpotter as a valuable investigative tool, the data shows limited outcomes in terms of recovering evidence, locating witnesses, and providing aid to victims. Additionally, response times for ShotSpotter alerts are not significantly faster than for 911 calls reporting gunfire, leading some to question whether the $7 million spent on the system over the past three years has been worthwhile.

Why it matters

The debate over ShotSpotter's effectiveness and cost-benefit ratio in Detroit highlights the broader challenges cities face in evaluating the value of emerging law enforcement technologies. While these tools may offer investigative benefits, their high price tags and uncertain outcomes raise questions about how limited public safety resources should be allocated.

The details

According to data provided by SoundThinking Inc., the parent company of ShotSpotter, the Detroit Police Department responded to 24,225 ShotSpotter-triggered gunfire incidents between 2024 and 2025. However, in just over 12% of those incidents, shell casings were recovered, witnesses were located in just over 2% of cases, and aid was rendered to a victim in less than 1% of the incidents. Detroit Police Deputy Chief Mark Bliss acknowledged that ShotSpotter is used as an investigative lead, but noted that it is just one part of a larger puzzle in criminal investigations. Critics, including the ACLU of Michigan, have questioned whether the $7 million spent on ShotSpotter over the past three years has been worth the limited outcomes.

  • Detroit's contract for the ShotSpotter system is up for renewal in June 2026.
  • Between 2024 and 2025, the Detroit Police Department responded to 24,225 ShotSpotter-triggered gunfire incidents.

The players

SoundThinking Inc.

The parent company of ShotSpotter, the gunshot detection system used by the Detroit Police Department.

Mark Bliss

Detroit Police Deputy Chief, who explained the role that ShotSpotter has played in the department's investigations.

Ramis Wadood

A staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan, who questioned the cost-benefit analysis of the ShotSpotter system.

Daniel Lawrence

A senior research scientist at the CNA Corporation who has extensively researched gunshot detection technology.

Lauren Bonds

The executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, who raised concerns about transparency and accountability around the use of ShotSpotter technology.

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What they’re saying

“ShotSpotter for us, for what we use it for, has been a game changer for us. We use ShotSpotter as an investigative lead. It doesn't solely rest on itself. It's an investigative lead, it's a part of a bigger puzzle.”

— Mark Bliss, Detroit Police Deputy Chief (Michigan Advance)

“Even if the company or the police department is able to point to a handful of convictions that stem from ShotSpotter alerts, we have to ask ourselves, is the number of convictions that technology led to really worth $7 million over 3 years?”

— Ramis Wadood, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Michigan (Michigan Advance)

“It is concerning that, for all the money we're spending on ShotSpotter, the response times are not that great. But even if they were a hair better than other 911 calls for shots fired, again, we have to think about whether saving a half minute is a good way of spending $7 million dollars, or if $7 million dollars could be spent to reduce response times in other ways or to prevent crimes in other ways.”

— Ramis Wadood, Staff Attorney, ACLU of Michigan (Michigan Advance)

“It's not a supplement for other kinds of policing work. One of the things that we've seen with ShotSpotter is that it's not the most reliable. And so that means it can't be a substitute for other investigative work to determine where a shot has come from.”

— Lauren Bonds, Executive Director, National Police Accountability Project (Michigan Advance)

What’s next

The Detroit City Council will decide in June 2026 whether to renew the city's contract for the ShotSpotter system.

The takeaway

The debate over ShotSpotter's cost-effectiveness in Detroit highlights the broader challenges cities face in evaluating the value of emerging law enforcement technologies. While these tools may offer investigative benefits, their high price tags and uncertain outcomes raise questions about how limited public safety resources should be allocated.