The Impact of ShotSpotter on Violent Crime

Abstract

This study will seek to examine the relationship between ShotSpotter technology and the rate of violent crimes within cities across the United States. In recent years, the ShotSpotter technology has become more prevalent as it has been implemented in over 100 cities and counties in an effort to combat crime. Developers sought to more effectively identify, investigate, and prosecute gun-involved crimes, as well as fix the traditional issues of underreporting and the lack of accurate and timely information associated with crime. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the technology in measuring its observable effects on violent crime rates. Utilizing a generalized difference-in-difference model, the study examines the violent crime rates pre- and post-ShotSpotter and compares the variation to the cities that never utilized the technology. The effect of ShotSpotter, as implemented in each city, was found to have a significant negative effect on violent crimes.