Boston Council Hears Debate Over ShotSpotter but Takes No Action

BOSTON -- July 31, 2024, Boston City Council holds informational hearing on ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology, with no vote taken. The Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, chaired by Councillor Henry Santana, convened Wednesday on Docket No. 0590 to review the city's current use of the acoustic sensor system across approximately nine square miles of Boston. Boston Police Department officials told the committee that ShotSpotter activations resulted in ballistic evidence recovery roughly 44 percent of the time in 2023, compared to 12 percent for 911 calls for shots fired, and that 75 activations last year produced evidence with no corresponding 911 call. Co-sponsor Councillor Benjamin J. Weber raised concerns about false-alert rates, citing a New York City Comptroller finding that only 13 percent of ShotSpotter responses in that city confirmed an actual shot fired, and warned of the impact on communities that receive heavy police response to unconfirmed alerts. Councillor Edward M. Flynn called the technology "critically important" and urged citywide expansion, while Sound Thinking Senior Vice President Thomas Chittum said more cities expanded ShotSpotter coverage last year than have canceled service over the company's full history.