City council approves one-year ShotSpotter contract as funding partners sought

City council voted to authorize a one-year contract with Sound Thinking Inc. (the ShotSpotter system) for July 2026 through June 2027 not to exceed $280,000, after hearing testimony from the police chief and public comment urging delay. The administration said the vendor offered a limited grace period of expanded coverage and that the contract is intended to bridge to grant or partner funding.

Chief Laura described the technology’s operational benefits, saying, "it gets us to shootings minutes 3 to 5 minutes faster than we would have for 9 1 1 calls." The chief also said ShotSpotter helped solve three homicides in the city and aided lifesaving response. Mayor Devlin and staff told council they have solicited business and nonprofit partners to cover technology costs and have applied for grants that would be announced in September. The mayor described the agreement as a short-term option: a six-month period of broader coverage is included initially and the city can reassess before the year ends.

Public commenters pressed council on effectiveness and priorities. Susanna Faulkner asked the council to "at minimum, table this vote," arguing studies show lower effectiveness in some jurisdictions and suggesting $280,000 would be better spent on local violence-prevention programs and environmental design. Council debate tracked those concerns; council member Horton sponsored the contract and several councilors recounted local cases where the system reduced response time. The motion carried after recorded votes; the contract will be charged to the police machinery-and-equipment budget.

Council and staff emphasized the contract’s one-year term and repeated that the city may scale or end the coverage if partner funding or grants do not materialize. The administration said it will continue to pursue grant funding and public partners to offset the subscription.