More than 6,000 possible gunshots and just 22 police service calls. That is the early scorecard for Fort Worth's gunshot-detection pilot, and it has City Hall wondering whether the high-tech gear is doing what it promised.
The city quietly deployed acoustic sensors in five neighborhoods, and police data shared with the City Council show the devices flag a whole lot of potential gunfire while producing very few direct responses. That mismatch is now front and center as officials talk about pricey contracts and whether to double down on the experiment or pull the plug.
Where the sensors are and who runs them
Fort Worth is testing two types of equipment: Flock's Raven audio detection system, which is paired with cameras, and portable acoustic units from Acoem. The devices cover five roughly one-square-mile pilot zones that include Stop Six, Las Vegas Trail, Rosemont, and portions of the Northside and South Riverside corridors, mirroring the plan the city outlined in 2023.
As reported by Fort Worth Report, the sensors are wired to cue nearby cameras and send alerts to the Real Time Crime Center. City officials initially pitched the rollout as a tightly targeted pilot meant to supplement patrols and bolster investigations in areas where officers are often stretched thin.
What the data show so far
Numbers given to the council by the Fort Worth Police Department show the sensors have registered more than 6,000 possible gunfire events. Those alerts, however, translated into only 22 police service calls, according to the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram.
Deputy Chief Mark Barthen told council the detections have been "helpful for detectives" in narrowing down when and where shots were fired. At the same time, he acknowledged that the alerts have led to very few arrests and no citations. Police Chief Eddie Garcia told council that "the city needs to figure out if the technology is worth it" as members consider what comes next.
How police use the alerts
FWPD describes the system as a force multiplier. When the acoustic sensors pick up a sound that matches gunfire, the alert can trigger cameras to pivot toward the location and push coordinates to the Real Time Crime Center, where detectives can quickly pull video and track down witnesses.
FOX 4 reported that the goal is near instant notification that guides officers to the scene. But police and local reporting also note that in many cases, neighbors have already dialed 9-1-1 before the system pings, which limits the value of the tech as a true early warning tool. Fort Worth Report has documented those operational quirks along with community questions about how the alerts are actually used.
The price tag
Keeping the acoustic network running is not cheap. Documents show monitoring and maintenance for the audio sensors cost about $70,000 a year for the first two years, a credit lowered that early tab, before jumping to roughly $175,000 annually under the vendor agreement, according to Dallas Express.
KERA has also reported that the city already spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to keep its network of police cameras operating. Taken together, the ongoing surveillance costs and the relatively thin enforcement results from the gunshot sensors have several council members openly asking whether the pilot deserves more money or a hard reset.
Why critics worry
Privacy and civil liberties advocates say the technology comes with serious baggage. Acoustic systems can generate lots of alerts that lead nowhere, critics argue, and the data can be used to justify intense police focus on specific neighborhoods.
The MacArthur Justice Center and Chicago-based reporting have raised alarms about similar tools in that city, detailing large numbers of unfounded deployments and alleging that the alerts helped fuel unconstitutional stops. That pattern sparked lawsuits and scrutiny from the inspector general there. Those national fights, along with local debates over transparency and permitting, are helping shape how Fort Worth neighborhoods view the pilot on their own streets.
What’s next
Police officials told council they intend to closely review the pilot's performance, including how often alerts actually lead to responses and how useful the data is to investigators, before recommending whether to expand the system or shut it down.
Data on the program were presented to the City Council on Tuesday, and several members requested a more detailed cost-benefit analysis, according to the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram. For now, the five test areas remain wired with sensors while city leaders try to reconcile the eye-catching detection numbers with a small handful of arrests and zero citations.
