Aurora police seek three-year renewal of ShotSpotter coverage; proposal placed on consent

The Aurora Police Department asked the Committee of the Whole on Aug. 5 to renew its ShotSpotter contract with SoundThinking Inc. for three years through July 2028, at a negotiated total cost of $428,000 and a continuing annual rate of about $140,000 for the current two‑square‑mile coverage area. The council placed the item on the consent agenda.

Deputy Chief Steve Stemmott told aldermen the system triangulates outdoor gunfire, sends verified alerts to dispatch and officers within about 60 seconds, and shows a small radius for officers to search for evidence or victims. “We have 2 square miles of coverage throughout the city,” Stemmott said, adding the coverage boundary was selected to include neighborhoods with historical gunfire.

Stemmott said data since Aurora went live with ShotSpotter in July 2022 shows 123 of 298 confirmed shootings occurred inside the coverage area — about 41 percent of confirmed shootings in roughly 4 percent of the city — and that 55 confirmed shootings in the coverage area generated no corresponding 911 call. He told the committee the system has led to 25 arrests, 22 firearms seized and recovery of 749 shell casings tied to ShotSpotter incidents. Stemmott described two recent incidents in which alerts led officers to locate firearms and make arrests.

Alderman Bade asked whether the current two‑square‑mile footprint is sufficient during a three‑year contract period. “We actually are in the process of… a quote to actually increase by another square mile,” Stemmott said, adding expansion would require future budget conversations. Alderman Larson asked about false positives from fireworks or car backfires; Stemmott said such triggers are “few and far between” but acknowledged some large fireworks, nail guns and backfiring cars can produce alerts and that the department prefers responding quickly to a small number of false alarms rather than missing actual shootings.

Stemmott said the city has paid $70,000 per square mile the past three years; he noted the proposed three‑year total is $428,000 after a negotiated $21,000 reduction from an original quote. The committee did not pull the item for separate discussion and directed that it be included on the consent agenda for formal action at a later vote.

The committee did not take an immediate roll‑call vote on the renewal during the discussion; the transcript shows the item was scheduled to go on consent.