New Technology for Detecting Gunshots Pitched to Chicago Police Department by Companies including Drones and AI

CHICAGO (WLS) — The city of Chicago is currently exploring various proposals from companies nationwide in an effort to enhance the capabilities of law enforcement and emergency medical services. These plans offer a wide range of ideas, from practical solutions to more unconventional approaches.

A deadline is approaching next Friday for companies to present their proposals to Chicago for new gunshot detection technologies. This comes after the controversial ShotSpotter system was removed last year, prompting the search for alternative options.

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Companies have already submitted pitches to the city that the ABC7 I-Team obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Among the 15 proposals received, there are suggestions such as utilizing networks of drones strategically positioned throughout the city to quickly respond to 911 calls, implementing an artificial intelligence system known as a “deep learning neural network” to monitor live video feeds from both public and private cameras citywide, and deploying cell phones equipped as acoustic sensors to detect gunfire in various locations.

SoundThinking, the parent company of ShotSpotter, is among the 15 companies that responded to the city’s “request for information.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration will soon start the arduous process of finding a potential alternative to the ShotSpotter system after ending the city’s contract with the company last year.

ABC 7 Police Affairs Consultant Bill Kushner says a replacement is a necessity.

“The (Chicago police) department needs every help it can get,” Kushner said. “If they can integrate gunshot detection technology into a camera system, that’s priceless.”

But the technologies proposed have also sparked concerns from privacy advocates.

Hannah Zhao is an attorney for the digital privacy nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, and says some of these proposals could amount to a surveillance state.

“I can understand the argument that it is helpful for policing, but lots of tools are helpful for police. I bet that the Big Brother system in ‘1984’ would be super helpful because it surveils everyone, but I don’t think that’s the kind of state we want to live in.”

Below are summaries of the 15 company pitches obtained and reviewed by the I-Team in alphabetical order:

Axon Fusus:

The Axon company, based in Arizona, already provides Chicago police body-worn cameras, TASER devices and a digital evidence management system.

Now it’s proposing “Axon Fusus,” including a live network of cameras that feed into an app that all police personnel can access.

According to Axon’s pitch, “By aggregating live video feeds from public and private cameras, body-worn cameras, drones and information from other sensors, like gun detection systems, Axon Fusus provides real-time situational awareness.”

Blue Hammer:

Blue Hammer Technology, based in Florida, is proposing, “A powerful AI deep learning neural network platform called Torrent AI, which can process exponentially large amounts of multi-model image data, such as text, still photos, full motion video and more.”

The AI can be connected to live camera feeds, both owned by the city and privately owned, that, according to the company’s pitch, would “provide vetted confirmation within 60 seconds of an incident” to police, along with location information and other data points it gathers.

The FireFLY III System:

The FireFLY III System is a proposal from the company Crime Gun Intelligence Technologies (CGIT) based in Mississippi. This is a gunshot detection system, similar to ShotSpotter.

According to the company’s pitch, the FireFLY III was originally developed “to detect and report small arms fire locations to U.S. forces in the Middle East. Project FireFLY was tested and proven in the harshest conditions on the battlefields of Afghanistan, and it is relied upon by our Military.”

Databuoy:

A company based out of Arlington Heights, Databuoy’s pitch states it would provide sensors installed on light poles and buildings, similar to ShotSpotter, that “not only detects gunfire,” but also “locates the source.”

ELERTS See Say:

The ELERTS company based out of Massachusetts proposes creating a “See Say” program for citizens to report incidents, like gunshots, to police.

According to the company’s pitch, See Say is a “human-powered system designed to empower citizens by providing multiple methods for reporting incidents with a mobile phone or computer.”

“By leveraging security equipment already in place in Chicago, such as CCTV cameras, ELERTS is able to provide police with unmatched real-time awareness of what is going on at an incident scene,” the company said.

Evidence IQ:

According to the company’s proposal, Evidence IQ is a relatively new company out of Lemont.

The company says it would deploy gunshot detection sensors across the city.

Flock Safety Raven:

From the “Flock” company based out of Georgia, the Flock Safety Raven would deploy sensors similar to ShotSpotter that can detect “gunshots, fireworks, and sideshow (street racing) with vehicle and license plate recognition.”

“When a gunshot occurs, Raven notifies the local police department in under one minute about the firearm discharge,” the company’s pitch reads.

Gull Systems:

Gull Systems is a U.S. company proposing a full technology package, including, “AI powered anomaly detection (with real time vehicle and suspect tracking) across all sensor feeds.”

According to the company’s pitch, it would manage a drone network that operates largely autonomously, “however operators located in a central command center can supervise and direct all flights.”

Knightscope:

Knightscope is a company based out of California, and, according to its pitch, it is proposing a gunshot detection system similar to ShotSpotter that “rapidly processes acoustic data, providing vetted incident confirmations within seconds.”

“Its automated recognition of gunshot signatures distinguishes gunfire from environmental noises and other triggers, enabling responders to act on verified information with confidence,” the document states.

ShotSpotter:

In its Request for Information submitted to the city, ShotSpotter provided statistics that the company states are from the Chicago Police Department, showing that it has a “99+% accuracy rate with respect to misses and mislocates.”

According to its pitch document, ShotSpotter “alerted CPD to over 10,000 shooting victims in the last six years,” and lays out a plan for “financial penalties should the ShotSpotter solution fail to meet service level commitments.”

Details on those penalties are redacted.

Skydio:

Based out of California, Skydio proposes using a network of “drones as first responders” that will “significantly improve CPD’s ability to detect violent crime,” and “reduce response times.”

According to the company’s pitch, “Skydio’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) solution offers a new way to improve emergency response by providing fast, reliable aerial intelligence before ground units arrive.”

“Weatherproof docks are strategically positioned throughout the city, keeping drones fully charged and ready to deploy automatically when an incident occurs,” the pitch reads.

Sydrio provided the city a list of 37 weatherproof dock and hive locations where drones would be located cover the city’s 235 square miles, but the locations were redacted.

SpOn:

A document provided by SpOn to the city did not include any details on the company or what it is proposing.

StarChase:

StarChase is a company based out of Virginia, and is not a gunshot detection company. Rather, it launches “GPS trackers” to suspect vehicles for “short-term surveillance.”

Triangula:

A proposal from the company Technoidentity America offers a gunshot detection system “leveraging smartphones as acoustic sensors, which can be deployed in fixed locations, temporarily for specific events, or carried by personnel in the field.”

According to the company’s pitch, “Triangula has been deployed in various urban environments, including pilot projects with U.S. police departments and larger-scale implementations in Norway.”