Gunshot detection tech credited for fewer shooting incidents in Freeport

FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Freeport says it has seen a significant decrease in “shots fired” incidents since implementing the gunshot detection technology ShotSpotter in 2021.

The number of shots-fired incidents in Freeport dropped from 80 in 2020 to 29 in 2024, according to Police Chief Chris Shenberger. He attributes this decline to the use of ShotSpotter (rebranded as SoundThinking), a technology that helps police respond quickly to gunfire.

“Once we started utilizing ShotSpotter, I think that people who are involved in that type of activity noticed that we were showing up to calls a lot quicker,” said Chief Shenberger.

Freeport has reported 21 shots fired incidents this year, a slight increase from previous years. Chief Shenberger noted that this rise could be due to issues with a specific group, which he said the police have since addressed.

ShotSpotter has been instrumental in helping police combat underreported crimes, as shots-fired incidents can occur at any time and are often not reported by the public.

Chief Shenberger emphasized the importance of continuing to implement technical advances to make Freeport a safer place.

“ShotSpotter is our best reporter when it comes to shots fired incidents,” he said.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.