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APD says no to ShotSpotter technology again

The department says the gunshot detection system didn't fit with its budget.


ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, is not coming to Atlanta, according to local authorities.

The Atlanta Police Department tells 11Alive it's passing on the technology because of money, marking the second time the department has rejected the system. 

Earlier this year, Atlanta got a free six-month trial of ShotSpotter, which boasts it can alert police to a shooting before anyone calls it in leading to quicker arrests. But APD said it doesn't have room in its budget to adapt the system.

In its last trial in 2018, APD found ShotSpotter duplicated gunshot reports and wasn't worth the cost of about $280,000 a year. 

ShotSpotter meanwhile said it made upgrades to the system since then to make it more efficient, though details on those upgrades were not released.

APD told 11Alive, "The Atlanta Police Department was grateful for the opportunity to conduct a trial of ShotSpotter technology and would certainly consider revaluating in the future."

Police have not released official results of this latest trial, including whether ShotSpotter helped them make any arrests.

Meanwhile, ShotSpotter told 11Alive, “ShotSpotter continues to evolve its technology to ensure that it is the most effective for our customers. With a 97% accuracy rate and a 99% customer retention rate, we are proud that our system works well and is trusted by police departments in over 135 cities nationwide to enable a fast, precise police response, ultimately helping police officers save lives and collect critical evidence for investigations." 

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