Friday, October 17, 2025, noon - 1 pm ET

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Brad Greenwood: The Effect of Gunshot Detection Technologies on Policing Practices: An Empirical Examination of the Chicago Police Department

Discussant: John Meixner

Abstract

This study examines the broader consequences of gunshot detection technologies (GDTs), a controversial but increasingly common form of automated surveillance in law enforcement. While prior research has focused on GDTs’ effects on firearm-related outcomes, their influence on policing behavior remains underexplored. Drawing on literature on workplace monitoring, technology adoption, and algorithmic bias, we assess how GDT deployment affects the frequency and nature of police-citizen interactions. Using district-level panel data and the phased rollout of ShotSpotter across Chicago police districts, we apply a difference-in-differences design and report five key findings. First, GDTs lead to a clear decline in citizen stops, with no evidence of differential effects by race. Second, this reduction in stops is not accompanied by increased crime. Third, crime reports are more likely to lead to an arrest, suggesting improved investigative efficiency. Fourth, citizen complaints against officers rise after GDT deployment, particularly those alleging improper search. Fifth, this increase in complaints occurs despite the decline in stops, implying a rise in complaints per interaction. These findings suggest that while GDTs may reduce the extent of routine policing, they may simultaneously intensify the enforcement actions that do occur. Our results contribute to ongoing debates about law enforcement surveillance tools, offering evidence that complicates claims that such technologies necessarily worsen or reduce bias. They also highlight the importance of institutional safeguards to ensure that gains in efficiency do not erode procedural fairness or community trust. We discuss implications for both the literature on technological monitoring and on policing technology.

Link to Paper (SSRN)

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Due: October 24, 2025. Details: see attachment.