TAKE ACTION: The U.S. Government Must Investigate ShotSpotter

Surveillance does not keep us safe.

We don't want Israeli drones working in tandem with ShotSpotter surveillance tech flying around our skies policing us.

We know of at least one Israeli drone company that has an exclusive relationship with ShotSpotter;¹ others are courting sheriff and police departments that already have ShotSpotter in place.²  

WIRED revealed that a shocking 70% of ShotSpotter surveillance microphones monitor predominantly Black, Brown, and low-income neighborhoods in the U.S.³

Now Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren have called for a federal investigation into whether public funding for ShotSpotter technology violates civil rights law.⁴

Take action now to demand a federal investigation into the use and funding of ShotSpotter tech.

Senator Markey has said we need “answers on whether it’s appropriate to spend federal taxpayer dollars on this technology,” as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security funds ShotSpotter through federal grants.⁵

At least 25,580 ShotSpotter microphones are being used in over 100 cities in the U.S. — even though there is no reputable or supportive data showing that the technology reduces gun violence.

What ShotSpotter technology does do is bring more police, and police violence, into Black, Brown, and low-income communities with devasting results — including the recent shooting at a child after fireworks were mistaken for gunfire in Chicago.⁶

Take action with the Stop ShotSpotter Coalition today.


Sources:

1. “Airobotics And Shotspotter Partner To Offer Integrated Gunshot Detection And Real-time Aerial Video To Help Save Lives And Deter Crime In Israel,” SoundThinking Dec. 16, 2021.

2. “An Israeli Company Is Hawking Its Self-Launching Drone System to U.S. Police Departments,” The Intercept, May 17, 2024.

3. “Here Are the Secret Locations of ShotSpotter Gunfire Sensors,” WIRED, Feb. 22, 2024.

4. "Senator Markey, Colleagues Urge DHS to Investigate Federal Funding of ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System," May 14, 2024.

5. “Markey calls for feds to investigate ShotSpotter, the controversial gunshot detection system,” Boston Globe, May 14, 2024.

6. “Responding to ShotSpotter, Police Shoot at Child Lighting Fireworks,” Electric Frontier Foundation, March 22, 2024.



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