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

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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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Chicago Police investigating a crime. Mayor Johnson said the city will cancel  (FOX 32 Chicago)

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. 

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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Deputy Chief Larry Snelling, center, talks with officers before a prayer service in memory of Officer Ella French outside the 22nd District, 1900 W. Monterey Ave., on Aug. 11, 2021, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

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.