The locations of microphones used to detect gunshots have been kept hidden from police and the public. A WIRED analysis of leaked coordinates confirms arguments critics have made against the technology.
  • @[email protected]English
    26•7 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

    • @[email protected]
      6•7 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.

    • @[email protected]English
      15•7 months ago

      Whether the mics would pick it up would depend on if you use supersonic bullets. They would sense that they are shutting off for some reason though.

      Edit: If you shoot one but another is in range to pick it up then it would. This is starting to sound like a cs problem.

      • ivanafterall
        14•7 months ago

        Can we zoom in on the sound and enhance it to triangulate the shooter’s IP address on the Unix mainframe?

          • @Buddahriffic
            3•7 months ago

            If two of us type at the same time on the same keyboard, we can work twice as fast!

      • @[email protected]
        1•7 months ago

        Suppressors aren’t movie quiet, they just bring down the noise to make it hearing safe.

        This leads me to wonder, would a suppressor actually trick these machines, does it have to be supersonic to pick it up?

        And, what happens when someone near a sensor needs a new roof? Roofers constantly harassed by cops? “Not allowed to use .22 cal nail guns?” Would this thing not pick up Ramsets?

  • @[email protected]English
    15•7 months ago

    Maybe I missed it but the article actually does not tell/show you where these secret locations are. A red dot on a map that doesn’t zoom in well enough is kinda useless.