SoundThinking controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile6 entries
2024
Accuracy and effectiveness investigations
Academic studies, journalistic investigations and a New York City audit questioned false-positive rates, manual alert changes, police-resource use, privacy and whether the technology reduces violent crime.
2022
Chicago constitutional class action
The MacArthur Justice Center filed a class action alleging that Chicago's use of ShotSpotter produced unconstitutional stops and arrests and operated in a racially discriminatory manner.
2021
ShotSpotter sues Vice Media over reporting claims
Lawsuit filed
ShotSpotter filed a $300 million defamation suit against Vice Media, accusing the outlet of misrepresenting the efficacy of its gunshot-detection technology and making inaccurate data-manipulation allegations. The allegations are claims in the lawsuit, not a stated court finding.
Source excerpt
ShotSpotter has filed a $300 million defamation suit against Vice Media, which has criticized the efficiency of the vendor’s gunshot detection system and accused employees of manipulating data in favor of police and prosecutors.
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Delaware, accuses Vice of deliberately misrepresenting court records and saying ShotSpotter has engaged in illegal behavior.
2020
Chicago murder-case evidence challenge
An alert initially classified as a firework was changed to gunfire and its location was later revised. Prosecutors withdrew the evidence rather than face a proposed scientific admissibility hearing.
2017
Rochester alert reclassification dispute
In the Silvon Simmons case, an alert was initially identified as a helicopter and later revised multiple times after police involvement. A judge described the company's evidence as flawed.
2014