In the five years since the Detroit Police Department implemented the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, thousands of arrests and recovered firearms have been linked to officer responses triggered by the technology, according to exclusive data obtained by The Detroit News.
By Ben Warren · Published Month DD, YYYY · Updated Month DD, YYYY
The ShotSpotter program first went online in the 8th and 9th precincts, but by March 2023, there were gunshot detection sensors deployed in most of the city's 11 precincts.
Detroit Police Department data showed that 2.3% of ShotSpotter alerts detected an incident that resulted in an arrest, a total of 1,700 arrests stemming from 1,253 unique alerts.
After highs of 337 arrests and 614 guns seized in 2023 ShotSpotter-linked incidents, the numbers have been remarkably consistent.
In 2024 and 2025, there were similar numbers of arrests (273 to 255) and guns seized (438 and 517). Through the beginning of May 2026, both arrests and guns seized were on pace for similar totals.