Sparks council renews three‑year ShotSpotter contract amid public concern about cost and surveillance

The Sparks City Council on Feb. 23 approved amendment No. 2 to contract AC‑5894 with Sound Thinking Inc., renewing gunshot‑detection services for three years at a total cost of $1,193,969.

Police Chief Chris Crawford told the council the system has produced measurable results during 32 months of use: "ShotSpotter identified 577 activations resulting in 520 calls for service and 124 cases," Crawford said, adding that 542 cartridge casings were recovered from activations and those efforts contributed to 23 arrests. He said the service covers roughly 5.25 square miles and that the annual cost beginning July 1, 2026, is $387,750, with an additional prorated $30,719 to align the contract with the fiscal year.

Crawford described cases in which the service alerted officers before 911 calls were received and said the rapid notifications helped secure witnesses and evidence. "The rapid response allowed patrol to identify six witnesses in the area that provided suspect vehicle description and direction of travel," he said, citing a May 2024 homicide where ShotSpotter notification preceded any 911 call.

Several public speakers urged caution. Cindy Martinez, a Ward 3 resident, urged the council "to pause before turning a temporary pilot into a permanent taxpayer obligation," noting the program began with federal ARPA and DOJ COPS funding and that "this proposal is a three‑year contract totaling about $1,190,000," which she said would shift recurring costs to the general fund. Martinez said the annual cost is roughly equivalent to "two to three full time sworn police officers" and questioned metrics such as false‑alert rates and cost per verified incident.

Christian D. Brown, a resident, said he opposed adding more surveillance technology and preferred spending on other community needs: "I would rather have that money spent on better things that actually help the community," he said, and cited studies he said show false positives and some false arrests tied to similar systems.

Councilmembers asked how ShotSpotter integrates with existing real‑time crime operations; Crawford said activations prompt staff in the real‑time center to bring up cameras and coordinate resources to identify witnesses and people of interest.

Councilmember Anderson moved to approve the amendment and Councilmember Vanderwell seconded. The council voted unanimously to approve the contract amendment.

The contract will extend the current service through June 30, 2029, and the police department indicated the annual cost is budgeted in its department budget.