Council renews ShotSpotter contract with annual effectiveness review after split public testimony

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 verification reduces false alerts and that in July the vendor distinguished roughly 3,900 detections down to 55 verified gunshot publications.

Deputy Chief Bales framed the system as one element of a broader violent‑crime strategy. “ShotSpotter helps us avoid over policing while targeting an actual crime,” he said, and described a recent case in which air and ground units used ShotSpotter activations to identify and detain a suspect. Bales told council staff data show a multi‑year drop in gunfire alerts and firearm assaults within the ShotSpotter polygons and said the system was especially valuable because many shootings go unreported by witnesses.

Public comment was sharply divided. Keon Bliss, former chair of the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, urged the council to let the contract lapse, saying “ending it today would actually immediately save Sacramento taxpayers more than $500,000 a year,” and citing studies and other cities that have discontinued ShotSpotter. Supporters of the renewal, including some council members, said the system helps get officers and medical aid to people who otherwise would not be located and argued the contract includes favorable termination language.

Legal and budget details were part of the council’s direction. City attorneys said the negotiated contract contains a 30‑day no‑cost termination clause and a prorated refund formula should the city opt out, which council members cited as an important protection. After multiple councilmembers requested clearer performance metrics, the approving motion was amended to require SPD to return annually with an evidence‑based report covering at least: number of activations, vendor‑verified vs. vendor‑rejected detections, number of activations that produced physical or testimonial evidence, weapons recovered or arrests led by activations, a comparison of ShotSpotter‑initiated responses versus 911‑initiated responses, and operational costs including estimated staff time.

Vice Mayor Talamantes moved approval of the five‑year renewal with the annual reporting requirement; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Kaplan and carried on the council floor. Council members said they expected the required reports to inform future renewals or termination decisions.

What to watch next: SPD will provide the first annual effectiveness report as directed by council; the contract has a built‑in annual opt‑out and a 30‑day no‑cost termination clause, and members of the public and oversight bodies said they will examine the city’s reported metrics closely.

Why it matters: The vote continues a program Sacramento police say helps reach victims and preserve life in neighborhoods where shootings often go unreported, while opponents questioned whether the system’s cost and false‑positive rates justify the investment and whether it disproportionately affects Black and Latino neighborhoods.