Issue
Whether the gunshot-detection contract is worth its cost, and the loophole that let it skip council approval.
City Council
Today, the city can sign some big contracts without a council vote. That's how a $6.5 million deal with ShotSpotter went through last year. On Oct. 21, a bill requiring council approval for such multi-year contracts over $30,000 failed. It advanced, however, after the limit was raised to $1 million.
City Council
ShotSpotter sensors alert Pittsburgh police to gunfire without waiting for a 911 call. Council is still weighing whether to renew the $1.2 million yearly contract. A city audit found ShotSpotter got police to possible gunfire about five minutes faster than 911 calls. Still, critics say the system leads to over-policing in marginalized areas.