CHICAGO, Ill. (WAND) - ShotSpotter is under scrutiny in Chicago.
It is believed the California-based company does not help prevent crime. Instead, groups say it perpetuates hostility when policing Black and Brown communities.
ShotSpotter technology is supposed to help police deter crime. If a weapon was fired in a neighborhood, the system can pinpoint where the gunshot came from. That means police can show up to scenes of crime faster.
The company said "helping law enforcement make communities safer is not just a job." A community in Chicago would say otherwise. One of ShotSpotter's alerts led to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo.
"I think this sort of reinforces and in some ways exacerbates over-policing in certain communities," said Jonathan Manes, who's an attorney with the MacArthur Justice Center.
"Almost 89% of the time with ShotSpotter alerts, police don't find any evidence of gun crime or gun violence," Manes said. "Actually 86% of the time they [police] don't find any crime."
WAND News reached out to ShotSpotter about the study. The company said it has a 97% accuracy rating nationwide. In an email to WAND News, ShotSpotter said its technology "is a vital tool for law enforcement to rendering rapid assistance to gun violence victims (and) reducing violent crime, helping to bring peace to communities suffering from persistent gun violence."
ShotSpotter's services are contracted in Peoria and Springfield. However, in Chicago, Manes said police responded to 60 ShotSpotter calls a day and came up with nothing. The attorney said this kind of policing can lead to civilians getting hurt.
"Every one of those police departments is a situation where the police officers think they're walking into a situation where somebody has a gun and just fired it," Manes explained.
The MacArthur Justice Center attorney said the city of Chicago should reconsider investing in ShotSpotter. This is something he said central Illinoisans should ask their police departments.
"Is it worth the money?" Manes asked. "Is there a better way or is there a better way to spend that money to (make) communities safer?"
