Mayor Brandon Johnson is currently being compelled to revisit his earlier decision of discontinuing the contentious ShotSpotter system. This decision had initiated a quest for police technologies, and unfortunately, some business leaders described the search as hasty and sloppy. ShotSpotter’s parent company, SoundThinking, was one of the eight companies to put forward their proposals to supply the city with ‘gun violence detection technology’, according to bidding process records which concluded last week.
ShotSpotter, a system that employs acoustic sensors specifically designed to detect gunfire, was harshly criticized by Mayor Johnson. He likened it to ‘a walkie-talkie on a pole’ and considered its operation a misuse of taxpayers’ wealth. An inside source familiar with the ongoing procurement process claimed the Johnson administration appeared not to have contemplated the consequences of removing ShotSpotter in September, thereby triggering a hurried rush to initiate the bidding process.
Frustration was apparent at a gathering of potential bidders in February, where city officials were lambasted for sharing sparse details. Several attendees had traveled from different states for the event, which lasted a mere 15 minutes for the reading of the proposal request document. An attendee characterized the meeting as ‘definitely irregular’.
From Virginia’s Vienna, Kathleen Griggs, the founder and CEO of Databuoy also attended this brief meeting. Her firm is responsible for Shotpoint, a solution advertised as ‘the quickest, most accurate fully automated gunshot detection and localization platform’. However, she criticized the city officials for providing information that was already in public knowledge and suggested to participants to present their queries digitally.
Griggs felt that city officials were terse and showed no interest in considering the subtle differences between the various detection technologies available on the market. Consequently, she decided not to put forward a proposal from her firm. She affirmed her commitment, ”We will extend our help to cities that genuinely desire our services”, she stated.
At least 15 companies had offered a variety of technologies via an ‘information request’, and representatives from 24 firms attended the meeting at the Public Safety Headquarters. However, only eight firms ended up submitting bids, and several of them have decided to partner with other firms.
Applicants who are contending for the new contract are offering a form of gunshot detection technology, and some sought to distinguish themselves from the conventional ShotSpotter system. TeQuity Partners’ founder Malcolm Weems from Bronzeville designed his proposal to address the administration’s issues with ShotSpotter.
Weems’ firm is trying to introduce the city to the Dragonfly system, an invention by EAGL based in Albuquerque. Dragonfly identifies gunfire using what Weems referred to as ‘energy signatures’, rather than using sounds. He hopes this technology will not only offer higher accuracy than ShotSpotter but will also come at a reduced cost.
Tim Kelly, co-founder and president of Crime Gun Intelligence Technologies based in Tupelo, Mississippi, submitted a proposal for their technology, FireFLY LE. This gunshot detection system was initially crafted with the military in mind. Boasting an array of microphones, Kelly claims it can accurately pinpoint the source of gunfire, even when numerous sounds bombard the sensors.
From a law enforcement perspective, Kelly reasoned, sending patrol officers to the incorrect location was the worst-case scenario. Further, false alarms could potentially lead to unauthorized searches or arrests, he added.
Jelware’s technologies propose using mobile devices to detect gun violence and send alerts to residents and law enforcement about nearby shootings. ‘In this digital age, everyone has their devices with them most of the time and that is what will serve as their gun violence detector’, the company’s founder Jacobs stated.
Blue Hammer Technology, an applicant based in Tampa, applies artificial intelligence to map out forensic evidence discovered at various crime scenes. This platform allows law enforcement to browse thousands of images captured by CCTV cameras in an attempt to identify criminal patterns or weapons. Interestingly, their AI model is not only limited to visual data but can extend to text or audio to find similarities and establish correlations.
Another tool developed by Blue Hammer is capable of locating a specific cellphone by ‘sniffing the airwaves’ for a unique number linked to its SIM card. Diego Lopez, senior solutions partner for the Norwegian gunshot detection firm Triangula, revealed that Blue Hammer is submitting a joint bid with his company, along with Microsoft, Samsung, and others.
The proposals from the three other bidding entities remain undisclosed at present. The Silver Star Protection Group, Motorola Solutions from West Loop, and Lyons View Manufacturer and Supply based in Austin have all chosen not to comment on the matter. Silver Star Protection Group is a private security firm, Motorola Solutions have had major city contracts for camera apparatus and radio gear and Lyons View President, Joshua Davis, is engaged in a variety of contracting and subcontracting work.
Johnson’s decision has set in motion a series of events that will shape the future of how the city detects and reacts to gunfire. With a wide range of proposed technologies and ample feedback from stakeholders, it is hoped that this process will not only improve system performance but reduce costs as well.
The story of ShotSpotter, Mayor Johnson, and the city’s push for better technology continues. The outcomes of the bidding and how new technologies will affect public safety remain to be seen. Various players, from local entrepreneurs to multinational corporations, have joined the fray, promising to make crime detection more accurate and efficient.