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Council renews ShotSpotter contract with annual effectiveness review after split public testimony
Summary
The City Council authorized a five‑year renewal of the SoundThinking/ShotSpotter gunfire detection subscription and added a requirement that Sacramento Police provide annual, itemized reports on ShotSpotter performance and outcomes, after public debate over cost, accuracy and equity.
The Sacramento City Council approved a five‑year renewal of the city’s Gunfire Detection System subscription (branded ShotSpotter, owned by SoundThinking), with added direction that Sacramento Police Department (SPD) provide an annual report on the system’s effectiveness and usage metrics.
Deputy Chief Zach Bales and Captain Ethan Hanson briefed the council on how the system operates, its cost and the department’s view of its value. Hanson described the detection workflow: multiple microphones report a candidate sound; SoundThinking reviewers then vet the audio and, if verified as gunfire, publish an alert to SPD with a longitude/latitude and the audio file, typically “within 60 seconds,” he said. Hanson told the council the proposed renewal would cost approximately $530,000 per year, funded through a combination of JAG (federal) grant funds and local MYOP funds, and would include a five‑year subscription with an annual opt‑out. He said human…
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