Mayor Johnson Announces City’s Termination of ShotSpotter Contract

The city of Chicago will end its relationship with ShotSpotter after the summer ends, announced Mayor Brandon Johnson.& On Tuesday morning, the mayor released a statement saying that the city would not renew its contract with SoundThinking, the company behind the gun detection technology, which was set to expire on Friday. He also said the city will fully end its use of it on Sept. 22.& “During the interim period, law enforcement and other community safety stakeholders will assess tools and programs that effectively increase both safety and trust, and issue recommendations to that effect,” said Johnson. The controversial ShotSpotter is a gun detection technology system that relies on acoustic sensors to detect, locate and notify law enforcement about gun incidents in communities.& In August 2018, the city initially opted into a $ 33 million contract with SoundThinking to utilize ShotSpotter, which was renewed for two more years under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration. In all, the city spent $49 million on the technology.& Mayor Johnson’s announcement follows his campaign promise to end the city’s use of ShotSpotter.& The technology has come under scrutiny in the past.& A 2021 report from the Chicago Inspector General’s office found that 9.1% of...