Saying Goodbye to ShotSpotter: A Step Forward, But More Work Ahead

My fellow advocates at Pure Justice and I are celebrating Mayor John Whitmire's announcement to terminate the city's $3.5 million ShotSpotter contract. This decision represents a significant victory for those who have long raised concerns about the technology's potential for racial bias, ineffectiveness, and misallocation of resources. However, while ending the ShotSpotter program is a positive step, we must recognize that this alone does not guarantee better outcomes for our city.

The Flaws of ShotSpotter

The ShotSpotter system, which uses sensors to detect and locate gunfire, has been criticized for perpetuating over-policing in communities of color. Ed Vogel from the Stop ShotSpotter coalition aptly described it as a "probable cause narrator" that targets majority-minority areas, meaning that ShotSpotter gives pretext or perceived probable cause for officers to have increased presence and conduct stops or searches, even if the alerts don’t actually indicate criminal activity by specific individuals. More police presence never creates more trust between law enforcement and the community. Numerous studies, including those by the Vera Institute of Justice, have found that heightened police presence and aggressive enforcement strategies in high-crime areas often undermine community trust and cooperation with law enforcement, particularly among people of color.

These negative consequences would be concerning even if the technology delivered its promised benefits – but it has not. ShotSpotter has neither reduced gun violence deaths nor increased arrests for gun-related crimes. In Houston, only 5% of nearly 4,400 alerts from December 2020 to September 2022 resulted in an arrest. Similarly, in Chicago, a mere 9% of ShotSpotter alerts were actually gun-related crimes. These statistics raise serious doubts about the technology’s usefulness and the allocation of millions of dollars towards its implementation.

The Need for a Comprehensive Approach

While ending the ShotSpotter contract is a positive step, this decision alone does not address the underlying systemic issues that contribute to over-policing communities of color in Houston. Many people across the city, including those who don’t necessarily have the best reputation in regards to criminal justice reform, are supporting this decision by Mayor Whitmire to discontinue Houston’s contract with ShotSpotter. However, their proposals for what the money should be spent on instead are, unsurprisingly, not in line with what criminal justice reform advocates like Pure Justice envision. For example, Mayor Whitmire stated the money saved from scrapping ShotSpotter would be used to fund a new cadet class for the Houston Police Department, while  Houston City Council Member Julian Ramirez suggests the funds could be better spent on hiring more police officers to have more presence on the streets. To us, these alternative proposals make it clear that getting rid of Shotspotter is eliminating only one tool used to perpetrate the over-policing of Black and Brown communities in Houston. Simply reallocating funds towards hiring more police officers will not reduce gun-related violence, reduce over-surveillance of people of color, or build trust between communities and law enforcement. 

Any alternative crime-fighting technologies or strategies must be thoroughly evaluated for their potential impact on civil liberties, racial bias, and the disproportionate targeting of minority communities. We cannot simply replace one flawed system with another.

“Ending ShotSpotter in Houston is a necessary step away from state surveillance and de-facto criminalization of Black and Brown communities. We’re so glad to see it go,” says Roshawn Evans, Organizing Director at Pure Justice. “At the same time, we must reimagine safety for everyone on a systems-level and continue prioritizing getting valuable resources to the underserved populations that need them the most. That’s how we should move forward and that’s how we build a safer Houston for everyone.”


A Call for Continued Advocacy

As criminal justice reform advocates, we must celebrate the decision to end the ShotSpotter contract as a victory, but we must also remain vigilant and hold our elected officials accountable for how they choose to reallocate the funds previously dedicated to ShotSpotter. Any proposed solutions must be thoroughly scrutinized to ensure they align with our values of racial equity, civil liberties, and a genuine commitment to addressing the root causes of crime.

As an immediate next step, Pure Justice calls for canceling the current ShotSpotter contract as soon as possible. Communications Director Sharia Legette explains why clearly: 

“We applaud Mayor Whitmire's progressive decision to cancel the ShotSpotter contract in Houston! What is crucial now is to ensure an immediate cessation of its use. There is no need to honor the contract until 2027, especially as there are no penalties for early termination. We remain hopeful and vigilant in this matter!” 

Together, we will create the change we seek, and build a Houston that truly serves and uplifts us all. We will need everyone’s help, so please reach out to Pure Justice if you’d like to plug in to these efforts! 

The path ahead will not be easy. We will face resistance from those who cling to the failed strategies of the past – those who believe that more police officers and tougher enforcement are the answers, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But we must stand firm in our conviction that true public safety cannot be achieved through oppression and over-policing. Instead, we must forge a new path – one that invests in our communities, empowers our youth, and addresses the systemic inequalities that have fueled the cycle of crime and incarceration for far too long. We must demand that our leaders listen to the voices of those most impacted, and work hand-in-hand with the communities they serve to create lasting, sustainable solutions.

By: Shivani Chatterjee