ShotSpotter

Chicago has joined a growing list of cities that have cut ties with a controversial company that tries to reduce urban gun violence with 24/7 technology that listens for the crack of gunshots and immediately notifies police.This month, Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the city would not renew its contract with SoundThinking, the California-based company behind ShotSpotter, software that uses a network of hidden neighborhood sensors to detect the sound of gunfire.Chicago was spending around $9 million…

Photo: Scott Olson (Getty Images)A federal lawsuit filed against the city of Chicago is calling into question law enforcement’s use of controversial gunshot detection technology for gathering key pieces of evidence. The suit, filed this week by the MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University’s law school, alleged Chicago police misused inaccurate and unreliable tech from the firm ShotSpotter and didn’t pursue additional leads. The suit accuses police of putting “blind faith,” in ShotSpotter’s supposed evidence.The…