MacArthur Justice Center vs ShotSpotter Commissioned Report
Amidst bad press, ShotSpotter commissioned Edgeworth Analytics to review Northwestern Law School’s MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) report that ShotSpotter “drains millions of dollars of taxpayer resources every year without any clear benefits to public safety.”
IPVM spoke with MJC and Edgeworth to report both sides' claims and analyze who is correct.
Executive *******
************** ******* ****** (***) ******** ** May**** **.*% ** **** **** - April **** ******* *********** ****** **** “unfounded”, *********** ************ ********* *********, *********** ** **** **** **** *** MJC ****** *** “**********”*** **** “***** ** ****** *******” ShotSpotter *** “****** ******** ** ********* outdoor ********”.
***** **** ***** ***** ** *** fact **** **.*% ** ******* ****** responses ** ****** ***** ** ********* involving * ***, ********* **** *** number ** “***********” *** **** ***’* conclusions ***** ** *** ************ *** not ********* ** ****. ***, ******* calling *********** “****** ********," ********* ***** not ****** * *** ******** ***** how *********** ******* ******** ****** *** admitted **** ****** ***** ******** ** customer ******** *** * "**********". (** percent ** ***********'* **** ******* **** from ** *** *********** ********, **** universities, ********* ********, *** ****** ****** up *** ****.)
********* **** **** **** **** *********** deployments ** ******* **** ****** *** to ****** ***** *****, *** ****** lines. *** **** **** **** *********** deployments **** ** **** ******** ********, increasing *** ***** ********** ** * neighborhood.
ShotSpotter *********** “***********” ******
***** *** ********* *** ******, *********** commissioned ********* ********* ** ******* ** “independent ********” ** ********* *** ***** ***********’* ******** ******.
Edgeworth *** *** **** ***********’* **** ***** ********* **********
**** ******** **** ****, ********* *** not **** *** *********** ******* ********-******** errors ** **** ******** ** *** investigative *******, * *** ***** ******* ShotSpotter **** ********-******** ****** ** ********* accuracy:
* ***'* **** ******* *** **** would *******, **** ***** ****** ** their *********** **** *** ****** *** their ************* ** **** ********.
*********** ***** ******** **** **** ********-******** (police *** ****** ********) ****** *** recorded ** ****** ******* ********** *************:
** * ******** ******* * ***** positive, ** ***** *** ****** ** as * ***** ********. ** ** standard ******** *** *** ******* ** notify ** ** ***** ********* *** false *********, *** ** ********* *** customers ** ******* **** ******** ** that *********** *** ******** ** ******* our **********.
Customer ******** **. **** ** ********
*** **** **** *** **** *** to ****** ***********’* ******** ** *********** testing. (****, *********** ******** ****’* ******* to **** ***** ********):
*** **** *** ** *** ** that ******** [***********’* ********] ** ** do ****** ********** ******* [...] ***** they **** *** ****** ** * blind ****** ******* ****** **** *** similar ** ******* **** *** ****** [...] ** ******** *** ****** […]. Then *** *** *** ********** *** system ***** *** ** ***** ** response ** ***** ***** ** ******—****** like ************ ** ***** ***** ** construction ******. [...] ****'* *** *** test ********—** ******** ******* *** ****** against ***** *******, ***** ************* ***** ShotSpotter *** *** ********* ***'* **** they're ***** ******. ****'* **** ** demand **** ***** ****** ************* *****. For *******, **** *** ********, ** demand ***** ******* **** *** *** has **** ******** *** *** ********** technician *** **** ******.
********* ********* ********* ** ***’* **** that *** **** *** ** ****** ShotSpotter’s ******** *** ** ***** * test, ****** **** *** *** **** they ***:
**, * ***** [...] ****'* * scientific ********. ****, **** *** * science ********. *** ** ***'* **** we ****'* ** * ********** *****.
********* ***** **** **** **** ******* they *** * ********** *****, *** one ***** ** ******** ********:
********* *** *** ** * ********** study ** ***********’* ******** **********, *** it *** ** * ********** ***** of ***********’* ******** ***** ** ******** feedback.
*** **** **** ***** ** * “problem” **** **** ******:
*** ******* **** **** ** *******. Police *********** ***'* ****** *** *** errors, *** ******** ****'** *** ** a ******** ** ****** ***** *********. When * ****** ******* ******* ** the ***** *** *****'* **** ********, they **** ** **** **** *** source ** *** ***** ***. **** are ****** ** ****** **'* ******* because ****’** **** *******--*** *********** *** told **** **** *** ****--**** *********** is ********* ******** *** *********. ** why ***** **** **** ** ** error ****** **** ******* **** ******* on ***** *** ***** *******?
********* ****** ***** *** *********** ** this ******, *** ******** **** ** is “************** *****”:
******** ******** ** * ************** ***** way ** ******** ***** ********. *** obviously, * ********** [** *** *****] is **** **’* [...] ***** ** customer ********
***** **** *** ** * **** way *** *********** ** ****** ********* are ***** **** ***** ********, ** is *** * ******** ****** ** measuring ********.
“Dead-End ******” **. ****** ** ********
*** *** ********* ***** **** ** July **** - ***** **** ** Chicago **.*% ** *********** ****** ********* “did *** ****** ** ****** ********* any **** ** ******** ********* * gun”, ********* **** *** ****** ** “meaningless” *** **** ***’* *********** ***** on *** ************ *** *** ********* by ****.
*** **** **** **** ********** ** if * *** *** ***** ** not, ***** ****** *** * ***** of ****** ********* *** *********** *********:
** **** **** ‘****-*** ******’ ** ‘unfounded ******’ ******* ****** ****** ** the ***** *** **** *******. ** stand ** **** ************, ***** ******** what ****** ******** *** ** ******* at *** *****. *** ***** ** that * ***** *** ** * in *******, * *********** ***** ***** police ** ****** ** ******** ** a *** ******** ** *** *****.
***** **’* **** **** ****** ***’* know ** ******* **** ****’** ***** to **** ****** **** *** ** the ***** ** * *********** *****, the **** **** **** **.*% ** the **** ****** *** ****** ** find ** ***-******* ********.A *** ******** ** *******—***** *** **** **** ** ****-****—**’* ***** ******* ****** *** ** ******** ** *********** ******, ************ **** ***** *** *** ****-********* *********** **** ****** ** **** ** ******* ********** **** *** ******, *** ************ **** ***** ****** are ***** ****-******** *** ******** ***** things **** ******** ***** ** ***** with ***** ****. [******** *****]
***** ********* **** **** *** ******* police ****** **** *** ******* ********** findings *** **************, *** **** *** police ****** **** **** ******** ** case ***** *** * “******* ******” or “***********”:
* ***** ********. *** **************** [** deployments] ** ****-*** ******** **** *** police ****** *** **** **** ********. [...] ** ***** *** ** **** gunfire, * ***** ** ***** **** sense *** *** ****** ** ** deployed ** *** ***'* **** ***** of **** ******* ****'** ***** ** find * ******* ******, ******* *********** or ********* **** ** *** *****. And ** *** **** **** *** police ********* *** ***** ******* *****'* tell *** ******** ***** ******* **** deployment *** *********. ** **** ***** you **** ******* **** *****.
********* ***** *** ********* ******, **** an ******* ****** ****** ** *** a **** ****** ** ******** *** that ****** * ******* ****** ** finding * *********** *** ** ***** many ***** ***********. *******, **** ** not ***** ** *** **** **** these *********** *** ************ ********* *** innocent ********* *** ********* *** *** enforcement ******* *** ****** ****** * shooter. ********* **** *** *** ******* how ***** *********** ****** ***** * perpetrator ** ****** *** ***** *** not **** ******** * *** ****, or ********* ****** ** ***** ******.
Racial ***** ** **** ***** *************
********* ********* ** ***’* **** **** “ShotSpotter ** ******** ************** ** ***** and ****** ************* ** *******” ** writing **** *********** ** ******** “** the ******* ****** ********* ***** ******* crime ** ****************** *******”. ********* ************ noted **** “*** ******** **** ******** *** ** ****** ********* ***** ShotSpotter ** ******** *** *** ** police ********* **** *** ******* ****** of ********* ******* **** *** ****.”
*** **** **** **** *** *** have * “******** ********” ** ****, but **** ******* *** *** **** a ********* ********** *** **** ******** ShotSpotter ***** **** ***, *** **** ShotSpotter’s ********** ***** **** ** ********* in ******** ******** ** *** ************* it ** ********:
**'** ***** ******* ** ****. *********** admits **** **'* *** **** ** Chicago’s ******** ***** **** ***** ** cover, *** * *****'* **** ******** from *** **** ** ******* ****** explaining *** ** **** ***** *********. I ***’* ***** ***********’* **** ****** is ***** ** ************** ** *** city ***** *** **** **** ***** coverage *********. **** * *** ***, and **’* **** ****, ** **** ShotSpotter ** **** ******** ** *** South *** *** **** ****, ***** are ************** ***** *** *****. ******* aspect ** *** ***** **** **** don't ****** ****** **** ** **** when *********** ** ******** ** *************, it's ********** ********** ***** ******** ******* only ** ***** *************. *** ******* there's ** ****** ** ******* **** ShotSpotter’s ***** ******** **** ** ************ good, *** ****** ** ********* *** number ** ******** ******** ** ***** districts ** ******* ** *********. **** can **** *** *** **** ****** deploy ***** *********: ****** **** ***** about *** ******** ****** ** ******** in *********** ************* **** **** **** higher **** ***** *************, *** ****'* just ******* *********** ** ********* *****. That *** **** *** ****** ******** making ** ***** ******* ** ********.
Unconvincing ********
*** ********* ****** **** *** ************ respond ** *** ********** ** ***********’* method *** *********** ******** ** *** statement **** ** **** **** - April **** ** ******* **.*% ** ShotSpotter ****** “*** *** ****** ** police ********* *** **** ** ******** involving * ***.” ********* **** ***********’* metrics *** *** *** **** *** of ***********’* ***** ********* **********, ****** more *********** ** ************** ******** ******.
[******'* ****: ** ****** *********'* ***** were *********, *** ********* ******** *** added ** **** *******:********* **** *** ****** ** “***********” and **** ***’* *********** ***** ** its ************ *** *** ********* ** data.]
********* ****** ****.
**** ***** *** ******** ********. **** isn't **** ****...this ** *** ******** ** *****.
******** ******** (*** ************ ***** ********* who **** *** ******** ********** **** Shotspotter ****** ** ***** ******* **** seek ** ******* ***** ************ ** this **********) *** ************** '************** *****' *** ** ******** anything ** ***.