PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland City Auditor's office investigation found insufficient evidence that gunshot detection company ShotSpotter violated any city lobbying rules, clearing the way for the city's pursuit of the technology.
ShotSpotter, a company which makes gunshot detection sensors that identify sounds that could be gunshots and sends alerts about their location to police, has been pursuing a pilot program with the City of Portland for close to a year.
After receiving a complaint, the Portland Auditor's office reviewed whether ShotSpotter had passed the time or monetary thresholds in its courting of the city that would have required it to register as a lobbying entity.
Investigators found that "while meetings took place that qualified as efforts to influence the actions of City officials," there was insufficient evidence that ShotSpotter met the hours threshold required to register with the Auditor's office.
An office spokesperson said many of the meetings between ShotSpotter representatives and city employees did not "qualify as either direct or indirect lobbying."
"Our office did not find sufficient evidence that the thresholds to require registration as a lobbying entity or quarterly reporting of these meetings has been met," said Becky Lamboley, interim city elections officer, in a letter to ShotSpotter on April 3.
Private companies are required to register as lobbying entities if they've spent 8 cumulative hours or at least $1,000 during any calendar quarter lobbying.
The closure of the investigation may restart the City of Portland's review of gunshot detection technology proposals.
Wheeler initially greenlit a pilot program with ShotSpotter before the city backtracked on those plans to request proposals from competing companies.
The city received four proposals in response to a gunshot detection RFP in February. That RFP initially called for a series of public hearings and decisions from city leaders to start in February, with the potential installation of a gunshot detection pilot program on April 1. However, those hearings have yet to be held.
Cody Bowman, a spokesperson for Wheeler's office, said Tuesday that the process would restart soon.
"The RFP process is ongoing and we will be announcing next steps in the near future," Bowman said. "We appreciate the work of the Auditor's office and their investigation."
