Detroit is spending millions on gunshot detection tech – is it an effective tool in the fight against violent crime?

New research on ShotSpotter’s deployment in Detroit suggests the technology did not reduce officer response times.

By: Tian An Wong, University of Michigan-Dearborn and Divya Ramjee, Rochester Institute of Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 8, 2026

Words: 1,512

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Tian An Wong, University of Michigan-Dearborn and Divya Ramjee, Rochester Institute of Technology

Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison says alerts from ShotSpotter, a gun detection technology, help officers respond quickly to shootings.

“Without it, I wouldn’t have the closure rate [of resolved crimes] that I have and a lot of families wouldn’t have the justice they deserve,” he said in March 2026, according to BridgeDetroit, a nonprofit news service.

During a Detroit City Council …

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