#shotspotter — Public Fediverse posts

Coincidentally, John Oliver just released an episode on surveillance technology that includes a short bit about #ShotSpotter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=lnBPhelCdWE&ra=m&t=6m28s

#surveillance #USPol #StopShotSpotter

Last night, Cambridge City Council voted to temporarily re-instate #ShotSpotter while they gather more information.
https://archive.is/gjAdA

#CambridgeMA #MAPol #surveillance #privacy #policing #StopShotSpotter

"Contrary to claims that ShotSpotter gets officers to the scene faster, a University of Chicago analysis of response-time data found the opposite: in the Chicago neighborhoods that used to have ShotSpotter, police response times to high-priority calls got faster, not slower, after the system was removed — improving by roughly four minutes on average."
https://www.cambridgeday.com/2026/07/21/shotspotter-doesnt-prevent-gun-violence/

#StopShotSpotter #ShotSpotter #surveillance #privacy #CambridgeMA

Following the heartbreaking murder of Xavier Bautista, Cambridge City Council has come under tremendous pressure to reverse their decision to end the city's use of ShotSpotter, despite the fact that ShotSpotter does nothing to prevent gun violence.

Members of the Cambridge community, please write to your councilors to say that surveillance isn't safety: https://mobilize.aclum.org/a/email-your-city-councilors-surveillance-isnt-safety

#StopShotSpotter #ShotSpotter #surveillance #privacy #MAPol #CambridgeMA

Here is an official statement from #TheBlackResponse (TBR) about the vote to remove #ShotSpotter microphones from Cambridge, MA. In addition to reviewing the reasons for their long advocacy to #StopShotSpotter, they also highlight the ways in which TBR's leadership role in the effort has been erased, sidelining the central black and brown voices in the effort.
https://binj.news/2026/07/02/opinion-the-black-response-on-the-matter-of-shotspotter-in-cambridge/

#surveillance #CambridgeMA #MAPol #policing #racism

This Cambridge Day gives a fairly clear picture of Monday's City Council vote to end use of ShotSpotter: https://www.cambridgeday.com/2026/05/19/council-drops-shotspotter-in-close-vote/

Many thanks once again to The Black Response (https://www.theblackresponsecambridge.com/), Stop ShotSpotter Camberville (https://linktr.ee/StopShotSpotter_Camberville), and the members of City Council who voted to remove the technology.

Now let's work on implementing social supports that will more effectively keep people safe.

#ShotSpotter #CambridgeMA #surveillance #MAPol

@jik

For members of the Cambridge, MA community celebrating the news that council voted to remove #ShotSpotter, please take a moment to send notes of appreciation to the brave councilors who stood up for the right thing last night:
https://better.boston/@athorn/116601927511322142

@DavidM_yeg

Also, notably, the Cambridge, MA system did not activate during last week's disturbing shooting on Memorial Drive, four blocks from the area where the microphones are deployed.

#ShotSpotter is a deeply flawed technology and it's appalling how many cities spend millions of dollars for the service.

Sound Thinking, the company that deploys ShotSpotter, also maintains a 72 hour rolling buffer of audio in case police need to collect "evidence."

Congratulations to @athorn and the other organizers and activists (led by https://linktr.ee/StopShotSpotter_Camberville, as per Alexandra's reply!) who put in years of work to reduce harmful, privacy-invasive, ineffective surveillance policing in their community. Thanks to their efforts, #CambridgeMA is kicking #ShotSpotter to the curb. Let's hope many other communities follow Cambridge's lead!
Now do Flock. 😉
Ref: https://better.boston/@athorn/116599123908475147
#privacy #surveillance #activism

Tonight Cambridge, MA City council voted by a narrow vote to ask the City Manager to remove all ShotSpotter microphones.

5 ayes, 2 nays, and 2 abstentions.

This has been the product of many years of work by many organizers. Many thanks to all of the people who have contributed to this win!

Truly a historical moment.

#CambridgeMA #StopShotSpotter #ShotSpotter #surveillance #MAPol

Whether you share a voice note or not, if you want to sign up to testify, you can use the Cambridge City Council form to sign up to give testimony at the 5:30pm council meeting on May 18th:
https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/citycouncil/publiccommentsignupform

#StopShotSpotter #surveillance #ShotSpotter #CambridgeMA #MApol

In response to Councilor Simmons' testimony, The Black Response (TBR) is working to re-center the perspectives of Cambridge public housing residents, which is why they are hoping to get people to use their testimony time to share voice notes from residents of the affected neighborhoods.

I can help people get in touch with a TBR organizer to use your testimony time for voice notes.

#ShotSpotter #surveillance #CambridgeMA #MAPol

At the Cambridge, MA Council meeting this week, Councilor Denise Simmons delivered a long speech implying that the organizing against #ShotSpotter is driven by out-of-touch white do-gooders. This is a massive distortion, both because ShotSpotter is technology that has been confirmed to be ineffective in communities with *much* more gun violence than Cambridge, and because it erases the perspective of public housing residents who hate being under constant #surveillance.

#CambridgeMA #MAPol

We are now in an all-hands-on deck moment with regard to organizing to remove #ShotSpotter from Cambridge, MA. The Black Response (https://www.theblackresponsecambridge.com/) wants to fill the council chamber on May 18th with people advocating to remove the microphones.

You can also sign up for testimony and use your time to play a recorded voice note from residents of Cambridge public housing who are affected by the surveillance but unable to attend the meeting.

#CambridgeMA #surveillance #MAPol

Important update on #ShotSpotter in Cambridge: at council meeting on May 11th there was an agenda item to vote to remove the ShotSpotter microphones, but Councilor Burhan exercised charter right to delay the vote for the week.

He note that emotions were running high following the highly disturbing shooting on Memorial Drive, although it should be noted that (regardless of how it is discussed in the press) that incident was unrelated to ShotSpotter.

#CambridgeMA #surveillance #MAPol #MAPoli

More information on Cambridge's upcoming #ShotSpotter vote and actions you can take is available from the #StopShotSpotter coalition here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xh3yfo9bPVAKtYTJjMwvV1rg9q-tBwsgUtGsO3VJKZs/edit?tab=t.0

#surveillance #privacy #CambridgeMA #MAPol #MAPoli

Things you can do to help end the use of #ShotSpotter in #CambridgeMA

* Attend the City Council Meeting on May 11th either in person (at 795 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge or over zoom https://cambridgema.zoom.us/s/97895847144)

* Send emails to the Cambridge City Council ([email protected])

* Sign up for public comment (https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/CityCouncil/PublicCommentSignUpForm)

#privacy #surveillance #MAPol #MAPoli

Big news! Following last week's Public Safety meeting on #ShotSpotter, Cambridge City Council will be meeting on Monday May 11th to vote on a policy order to end the City’s use of ShotSpotter microphones and remove the devices from Cambridge neighborhoods.

#CambridgeMA #surveillance #privacy #MAPol #MAPoli

@pmarrone

I've never heard of that product, unless you mean ShotSpotter or Flock gunshot detection microphones that happen to be mounted on street lights, in which case sure, that's what what we're fighting. #CambridgeMA has #ShotSpotter mounted in certain (demographically predictable) neighborhoods, and we want them to take it down.

But it's also possible that there's another product I don't know about, so do let me know if you know more!

Tomorrow, @CambridgeMA is holding a Public Safety hearing about #ShotSpotter, a surveillance technology that claims to be able to identify gunshots but in fact has a very high error rate. ShotSpotter operates by installing (often hidden) microphones in (often black and brown) neighborhoods.

There's information here about signing up to give testimony:
https://www.theblackresponsecambridge.com/events/sign-up-for-public-comment-shotspotter-hearing-happening-tomorrow-april-29

#surveillance #MAPol #MAPoli

Sacramento City Council attempt to slip through multimillion dollar #Shotspotter renewal on the consent calendar failed on July 22nd. Item will be back on the 29th. https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article311117135.html

Sacramento City Council attempt to slip through multimillion dollar #Shotspotter renewal on the consent calendar failed on July 22nd. Item will be back on the 29th. https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article311117135.html

If you'd like to give in-person or virtual comment at the Cambridge City Council hearing on #ShotSpotter, the hearing link is now open for public comment: https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/CityCouncil/PublicCommentSignUpForm

#CambridgeMA #StopShotSpotterCamberville #StopShotSpotter

If you live in Cambridge Massachusetts and cannot attend the June 2nd hearing on #ShotSpotter in person or via Zoom, please send an email to [email protected], which will reach all the councillors.

EDIT: The signup link is now live: The ShotSpotter hearing link is now open for public comment: https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/CityCouncil/PublicCommentSignUpForm

#CambridgeMA City Council is still not accepting signups to give testimony on #ShotSpotter, but if you with The Black Response Cambridge that there are serious ethical and practical concerns about ShotSpotter, if at all possible, you can sign up with The Black Response using the form here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOTLpZpE-5nfYoe2ZATQoi8FQ1_1KftN_uWZUX2yPCVLI2rA/viewform

If you'd like to learn more about the problems with #ShotSpotter, the Stop Shot Spotter Camberville Coalition (#SSSCamberville) has a linktree page here:
https://linktr.ee/StopShotSpotter_Camberville

#StopShotSpotterCamberville

For residents of Cambridge, Massachusetts and surrounding communities, on June 2, 2025, Cambridge City Council is holding a hearing reviewing the city's use of #ShotSpotter audio surveillance technology.

This technology claims to use AI to specifically identify the sounds of gunshots, but in fact is highly unreliable, and primarily results in higher policing of the disproportionately black and brown neighborhoods where the devices are deployed.

#stopshotspotter #CambridgeMA #MAPoli #MaPol