Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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ShotSpotter promised to use AI to detect gunfire, dispatch police faster, and make cities safer.
Instead, it quietly put millions of Americans under constant audio surveillance, triggered thousands of false alarms, and became one of the most controversial government tech contractors in the country.
In this video, we travel to Chicago — one of ShotSpotter’s biggest customers — to investigate how the system actually works, why so many alerts never lead to real crimes, and how internal reclassification of audio turned a safety product into a legal and ethical nightmare.
This is the story of how flawed data, lobbying, and surveillance tech collided — and why once a city buys into systems like this, it’s almost impossible to walk away.
Recommended video:
youtu.be/76vm5lj-3FE?si=52KNSSx7Y_Hl7Nt2
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📚 Sources & References
Associated Press — ShotSpotter & Police AI
apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-algorithm-technology-police-crime-7e3345485aa668c97606d4b54f9b6220
Wired — Secret Sensor Locations Leak
wired.com/story/shotspotter-secret-sensor-locations-leak
ACLU — Four Problems With ShotSpotter
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/four-problems-with-the-shotspotter-gunshot-detection-system
IPVM — ShotSpotter Accuracy Report
ipvm.com/reports/shotspotter-accuracy
The Record — ShotSpotter Inaccuracies in NYC
https://therecord.media/police-shotspotter-inaccurate-new-york
Wikipedia — Killing of Adam Toledo
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Adam_Toledo
Sen. Ed Markey — DHS OIG Letter on ShotSpotter
markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/shotspotter_dhs_oig_letter_51424.pdf
Vice — Police Telling ShotSpotter to Alter Evidence
vice.com/en/article/police-are-telling-shotspotter-to-alter-evidence-from-gunshot-detecting-ai
East Bay Express — Illegal Lobbying in Oakland
eastbayexpress.com/shotspotter-lobbied-oakland-officials-in-apparent-violation-of-law-1
Oregon Public Broadcasting — ShotSpotter Lobbying
opb.org/article/2022/11/07/shotspotter-convinced-portland-spend-big-controversial-gunshot-detection-technology
Prism Reports — Chicago Ends ShotSpotter
prismreports.org/2024/12/02/how-chicago-organizers-rid-the-city-of-shotspotter
ABC7 Chicago — Chicago Dismantles ShotSpotter
abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shotspotter-contract-ends-sunday-city-begin-dismantling-gunshot-detection-technology-monday/15341343
#ShotSpotter #AIPolicing #SurveillanceTech #PrivacyRights #PoliceTechnology #TechEthics #AIandLaw #Chicago #CivilLiberties #BigBrother #Slidebean #InvestigativeTech #FutureOfPolicing
⚡ Upgrade your brain with The Hustle newsletter: clickhubspot.com/538d7a
ShotSpotter promised to use AI to detect gunfire, dispatch police faster, and make cities safer.
Instead, it quietly put millions of Americans under constant audio surveillance, triggered thousands of false alarms, and became one of the most controversial government tech contractors in the country.
In this video, we travel to Chicago — one of ShotSpotter’s biggest customers — to investigate how the system actually works, why so many alerts never lead to real crimes, and how internal reclassification of audio turned a safety product into a legal and ethical nightmare.
This is the story of how flawed data, lobbying, and surveillance tech collided — and why once a city buys into systems like this, it’s almost impossible to walk away.
Recommended video:
youtu.be/76vm5lj-3FE?si=52KNSSx7Y_Hl7Nt2
--
Follow us
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/slidebean
Instagram: instagram.com/slidebean
Caya
X (Twitter): twitter.com/cayahere
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/caya
--
📚 Sources & References
Associated Press — ShotSpotter & Police AI
apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-algorithm-technology-police-crime-7e3345485aa668c97606d4b54f9b6220
Wired — Secret Sensor Locations Leak
wired.com/story/shotspotter-secret-sensor-locations-leak
ACLU — Four Problems With ShotSpotter
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/four-problems-with-the-shotspotter-gunshot-detection-system
IPVM — ShotSpotter Accuracy Report
ipvm.com/reports/shotspotter-accuracy
The Record — ShotSpotter Inaccuracies in NYC
https://therecord.media/police-shotspotter-inaccurate-new-york
Wikipedia — Killing of Adam Toledo
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Adam_Toledo
Sen. Ed Markey — DHS OIG Letter on ShotSpotter
markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/shotspotter_dhs_oig_letter_51424.pdf
Vice — Police Telling ShotSpotter to Alter Evidence
vice.com/en/article/police-are-telling-shotspotter-to-alter-evidence-from-gunshot-detecting-ai
East Bay Express — Illegal Lobbying in Oakland
eastbayexpress.com/shotspotter-lobbied-oakland-officials-in-apparent-violation-of-law-1
Oregon Public Broadcasting — ShotSpotter Lobbying
opb.org/article/2022/11/07/shotspotter-convinced-portland-spend-big-controversial-gunshot-detection-technology
Prism Reports — Chicago Ends ShotSpotter
prismreports.org/2024/12/02/how-chicago-organizers-rid-the-city-of-shotspotter
ABC7 Chicago — Chicago Dismantles ShotSpotter
abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shotspotter-contract-ends-sunday-city-begin-dismantling-gunshot-detection-technology-monday/15341343
#ShotSpotter #AIPolicing #SurveillanceTech #PrivacyRights #PoliceTechnology #TechEthics #AIandLaw #Chicago #CivilLiberties #BigBrother #Slidebean #InvestigativeTech #FutureOfPolicing
