Pittsburgh Renews Controversial Gunshot Radar Contract Despite Concerns

Critics argue the ShotSpotter system has not reduced gun crime and worsened racial tensions with police.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Pittsburgh has renewed a $8.5 million, three-year contract for its ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, despite growing criticism from residents who argue the technology is ineffective at reducing gun violence and amounts to "secretive surveillance." City officials defend the system, saying it provides faster response times, but acknowledge most alerts do not lead to arrests.

Why it matters

The debate over Pittsburgh's use of gunshot detection technology highlights the broader controversy around these systems, which are used in over 170 cities nationwide. Critics argue the systems disproportionately target minority communities, while proponents say they help fill gaps in 911 reporting and provide valuable data to law enforcement.

The details

Pittsburgh's ShotSpotter system uses sensors to triangulate the location of gunshots, with a false positive rate of 1% and an alert time of 60 seconds. However, city officials note that while response times were faster in 2025, police only made 234 arrests, half of which were unrelated to gun crime. Residents like Honey Rosenbloom have criticized the system as "secretive surveillance technology" that has not reduced gun violence. ShotSpotter defends the technology, arguing it provides the "most precise information" and "shortest path" for law enforcement to respond to gun incidents, even if an arrest is not made.

  • In December 2025, Pittsburgh City Council renewed the $8.5 million, three-year ShotSpotter contract.
  • In 2025, ShotSpotter detected 2,394 gunshot alerts in Pittsburgh, capturing 8,554 rounds fired.

The players

Honey Rosenbloom

A Pittsburgh resident who criticized the ShotSpotter system as "secretive surveillance technology" that has not reduced gun-related crime and has worsened racial tensions with police.

Barbara Warwick

A Pittsburgh City Councilwoman who noted that while ShotSpotter alerts led to faster police response times in 2025, only half of the 234 resulting arrests were related to gun crime.

Gary Bunyard

The senior vice president of public safety solutions at SoundThinking, the company that owns the ShotSpotter system. He defended the technology, arguing it provides the "most precise information" and "shortest path" for law enforcement to respond to gun incidents.

Brandon Johnson

The mayor of Chicago who cancelled the city's ShotSpotter contract last year, despite majority support for it from city council members and voters.

Kiara Jenkins

A mother of five who was shot and killed in Chicago's South Side, with her body going undiscovered for 10 hours after an off-duty police officer heard the gunshots and reported the location to emergency dispatchers.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

The debate over Pittsburgh's use of gunshot detection technology highlights the broader controversy around these systems, which proponents say help fill gaps in 911 reporting but critics argue disproportionately target minority communities and have not been proven effective at reducing gun violence.