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The Contrarian

(87 posts)
Wed Feb 14, 2024, 05:24 PM Feb 2024

Chicago scraps gunshot detection system accused of racial bias

Chicago will not renew its ShotSpotter contract and plans to stop using the controversial gunshot detection system later this year, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office announced on Tuesday.

The system, which relies on an artificial intelligence algorithm and network of microphones to identify gunshots, has been criticized for inaccuracy, racial bias and law enforcement misuse. An Associated Press investigation of the technology detailed how police and prosecutors used ShotSpotter data as evidence in charging a Chicago grandfather with murder before a judge dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence.

Chicago’s contract with SoundThinking, a public safety technology company that says its ShotSpotter tool is used in roughly 150 cities, expires on Friday. The city plans to wind down use of ShotSpotter technology by late September, according to city officials. Since 2018, the city has spent $49m on ShotSpotter.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/14/chicago-shotspotter-contract

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A small step towards more equitable policing in Chicago.

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Chicago scraps gunshot detection system accused of racial bias (Original Post) The Contrarian Feb 2024 OP
If the contract expires on Friday, why extend it until September? MichMan Feb 2024 #1

MichMan

(14,066 posts)
1. If the contract expires on Friday, why extend it until September?
Wed Feb 14, 2024, 05:36 PM
Feb 2024

Mayor Johnson says its “unreliable and overly susceptible to human error", so why not stop using it now, instead of paying millions of dollars to keep it active for 6 more months?


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