• PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    29
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    The only problem ShotSpotter solves is not enough public money into private hands. What information does it actually give the police, even assuming that it is 100% accurate?
    At a certain time and place a gun was fired. Great? Who cares. That isn’t worth $1million/mo.
    If there are 3 people in the general location and time that a gun was fired, what has shotspotter done to help?

    Fortunately Chicago is getting rid of this finally. https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2024/02/22/shotspotter-contract-cost-mayor-brandon-johnson-cancel-extension-summer

    • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      People usually call in shots fired. So all they’ve done is create an expensive device that maybe tells them a bit sooner than a concerned citizen.

      • JillyB@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        8 months ago

        This is where I disagree. I think a transparent, publicly run system to triangulate gunshots is actually a great idea. As long as the microphones are placed evenly throughout a city, they can instantly let police know where and when a gunshot happened.

        However, with no way to publicly verify the fairness of the a private system, there’s only one way this could go.

        • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          8 months ago

          Doesn’t triangulation get fucked up by the presence of buildings? I don’t imagine these give much more precision, even in the ideal situation you describe.

          • Flumpkin@slrpnk.net
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            8 months ago

            I imagine that theoretically you could have algorithms or machine learning to calibrate this. Like make test sounds so you see how the sound diffuses and then filter it out.