Spring Independent School District's (SISD) plan to implement Gunshot Detection Systems (GDS) represents a significant advancement over outdoor gunshot detection technologies like ShotSpotter. While ShotSpotter has been criticized for inaccuracies, high costs, and limited utility, such as its low effectiveness in producing actionable evidence of gun crimes in urban settings, GDS is designed for indoor environments like schools, where precision and speed are critical.

GDS can pinpoint the location of gunfire within a building and integrate seamlessly with video surveillance and access control systems, enabling automated responses like lockdowns. Research highlights its efficiency, with AI-powered systems detecting and notifying law enforcement of gunfire within 2–5 seconds, compared to ShotSpotter's broader outdoor coverage, which can lead to delays and false positives

Moreover, unlike ShotSpotter's deployment in urban neighborhoods—which has sometimes led to heightened police-community tensions—GDS operates in controlled environments with dedicated SISD officers already trained in community-focused policing. This ensures rapid, coordinated, and context-sensitive responses, making GDS a preferred choice for enhancing school safety.