Mayor Johnson announces Chicago will cancel ShotSpotter deal designed to combat crime

The City of Chicago will not be renewing its contract with gunshot detection technology ShotSpotter after this summer, city officials announced Tuesday.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office released a statement Tuesday morning, saying its multi-million-dollar contract with SoundThinking, which owns the ShotSpotter technology, will be extended through Sept. 22, but end after that.

The decision comes as the city was facing a Friday deadline for its $49 million contract with ShotSpotter, which operates a network of acoustic sensors to alert police of gunfire.

"Moving forward, the City of Chicago will deploy its resources on the most effective strategies and tactics proven to accelerate the current downward trend in violent crime," the city's statement read. "Doing this work, in consultation with community, violence prevention organizations and law enforcement, provides a pathway to a better, stronger, safer Chicago for all."

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A spokesperson for SoundThinking has fired back at the Mayor's decision, telling Fox News Digital that this was not discussed with them prior to his announcement. 

"Contrary to those discussions and without consultation with SoundThinking, on February 12, 2024, Mayor Johnson announced a decommission plan, involving an extension of ShotSpotter through September 22, 2024, one month after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago," the spokesperson said. "We believe the shared goal of an extension period must provide the best possible data and analysis to the residents of the City of Chicago through greater transparency and reporting standards. The way this is secured is through a minimum 12-month extension and modifications to the city’s current data and reporting protocols."

Until the technology is decommissioned, law enforcement and other leaders will suggest recommendations on other tools and programs to reduce violence, officials said in the statement.

The gunfire detection system has been criticized for allegedly being too costly and ineffective, however, others have opposed Johnson's decision. 

Alderwoman Silvana Tabares blasted those advocating for eliminating ShotSpotter and accused them of greed.

"The only people against ShotSpotter are the community organizers who want to use the money that saves Black and brown lives into their own pockets," she told the media on Tuesday.

Alderman Anthony Beale slammed Johnson over the move.

"If ShotSpotter is so bad, cancel it now," Beale told WMAQ-TV. "Why do you want to wait until a month after the DNC? So you want to protect the people that are coming in for the DNC and then cancel it a month after? It’s good enough for them; why is it not good enough for the rest of the people here in the city of Chicago?"

Jason Lee, Mayor Johnson's senior advisor, told the media that the Johnson administration landed on September 22 after the Chicago Police Department said it worried about a "discontinuity of operations" if the system was shut down sooner, as it would put "stressors on the department this summer" during events, including the DNC.

The equipment uses acoustic sensors to triangulate the sound of gunfire, with information relayed to police within 60 seconds, according to the company’s website.

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The city has used the service since 2018, to alert police to gunshots.

During Johnson's 2023 mayoral campaign, he vowed to cancel the city's $33 million contract with SoundThinking, saying it was unreliable and citing incidents like the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in 2021. 

Toledo’s death ignited a firestorm of controversy over the city’s use of the gunshot detection system, which critics said did nothing to help police combat crime or violence while also contributing to the over policing of Black and Latino neighborhoods. 

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A 2021 report by the Chicago Inspector General raised serious questions about whether the Chicago Police Department should continue using ShotSpotter technology. 

The report showed only 9% of gunshot alerts were ever linked to gun-related crimes and also questioned the quality of officers' responses to ShotSpotter alerts.

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However, the technology has been praised by the Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies for identifying shootings and saving lives by speeding up emergency response times. Officials claimed it's much faster than if they waited for someone to call 911 to report gunfire. 

SoundThinking Inc. CEO Ralph Clark issued a statement to Fox News Digital stating he wanted to highlight the importance of this technology and the positive impact it continues to make for the residents of Chicago through the seven-year partnership.

"During our seven-year partnership, ShotSpotter has offered the City of Chicago a better way to quickly respond to criminal gunfire incidents to drive more efficient, effective, and equitable public safety outcomes," Clark said. "The most important measure of ShotSpotter’s value is in lives saved." 

SoundThinking added that they stand ready to continue its partnership with the City of Chicago to help address the tragic plague of gun violence.