02/23/2024

The Secret Locations of ShotSpotter Gunfire Sensors

The locations of microphones used to detect gunshots have been kept hidden

The gunshot-detection system ShotSpotter has for years drawn criticism from activists and academics who believe the company behind the system, SoundThinking, places its microphone sensors primarily in low-income communities of color. Now, a WIRED analysis of data leaked from the company reveals the secret locations of ShotSpotter sensors around the globe and the U.S. communities most directly impacted by the surveillance.

Until now, the exact locations of SoundThinking’s sensors have been kept secret from both its police department clients and the public at large. A leaked document, which WIRED obtained from a source under the condition of anonymity, details the alleged precise locations and uptime of 25,580 ShotSpotter microphones. The data exposes for the first time the reach of SoundThinking’s network of surveillance devices and adds new context to an ongoing debate between activists and academics who claim ShotSpotter perpetuates biased policing practices and proponents of the technology.

According to the document, SoundThinking equipment has been installed at more than a thousand elementary and high schools; they are perched atop dozens of billboards, scores of hospitals and within more than a hundred public housing complexes. They can be found on significant U.S. government buildings, including the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

Please select this link to read the complete article from WIRED.