CJP’s ShotSpotter Transparency & Research Campaign is a nationwide effort to hold police departments and technology vendors accountable for the use of ShotSpotter’s gunshot‑detection surveillance system. By filing public‑records requests with more than 100 police agencies across the country, this campaign seeks to uncover the truth about how ShotSpotter is deployed, what it actually accomplishes, and how much communities are being asked to pay for it.
For years, ShotSpotter has been marketed as a high‑tech solution to gun violence, yet significant independent research, government oversight reports, and legal analyses increasingly challenge the company’s claims. Communities deserve to know whether this technology improves public safety or simply expands surveillance while diverting millions in public funds.
Our campaign aims to shift the national conversation from political talking points to evidence‑based decision‑making. By demanding transparency and gathering reliable data from agencies across the U.S., we are working to ensure that residents, policymakers, and advocates have the facts they need to evaluate whether ShotSpotter truly serves the public interest. Right now, too many decisions are driven by narratives rather than evidence. This campaign is designed to change that by putting transparency, accountability, and community safety first.
Below, you can find a sample request and a list of the jurisdictions in which we are filing. You can also use the included Google Form to let us know if there is a city using the technology that we have not yet captured. We will be updating the Google Sheet with the status of requests as they are filed and with information about responses as we receive them.
Also, if you would like to support our efforts by becoming a monthly donor to help cover the costs associated with the fees police agencies will be charging us to access their records and data, please click the donate button.