In New York Neighborhood, Police and Tech Company Flout Privacy Policy, Advocates Say
ShotSpotter says it doesn’t share the location of its gunshot detection sensors with police. NYPD said it doesn’t use the technology to listen to private conversations.
NYPD officers monitor a crime scene in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/BloombergIt was sold as a way to improve police response and catch incidents not reported to 911: Sensors placed around a city would “listen” for gunshots and transmit the information to officers. But the ShotSpotter Inc. technology concerned privacy advocates who worried that if police knew where the devices were placed, they could improperly use the always-on microphones to pick up private conversations.
ShotSpotter always had a response for critics: Police don’t know the sensors’ locations and therefore can’t target their listening.