Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's comments Monday denouncing ShotSpotter as “walkie-talkies on a pole” are facing criticism from city council members who want to extend the gunshot detection system's contract, which is currently set to expire Sunday.
Johnson, who campaigned in 2023 to end the city’s contract with SoundThinking Inc., which owns ShotSpotter, said the program has not been successful in reducing gun violence overall and that the city “cannot afford corporate interest in profiting off the pain and suffering of the people of Chicago.”
“$100 million for walkie-talkies hanging on a pole,” Johnson said. “And the reason they said we needed them was to reduce gun violence. They didn't.”
ShotSpotter technology has been using a network of acoustic sensors to detect the location of gunshots and transmit information to police since 2012.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been calling for a shutdown of ShotSpotter technology since his 2023 campaign. (Screenshot/CNN)
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While Johnson is determined to shut down the system, city council members are equally determined to keep the system running and plan to vote on a new ordinance on Wednesday.
The ordinance would allow Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling to extend the current agreement that expires Sunday or start a new contract for a system using the same technology.
Alderman Anthony Beale of Chicago's 9th Ward defended the preservation of ShotSpotter and criticized Johnson for dismissing the system.
“I'm sorry that he feels that saving lives is comparable to walkie-talkies on a stick,” Beale told the Chicago Sun Times.
He added: “[Johnson] “He doesn't understand what this tool is. It's a campaign issue and he doesn't understand it. He's trying to fulfill a campaign promise at the cost of lives.”
Councilman Anthony Beale has frequently criticized Mayor Johnson for denouncing ShotSpotter technology. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Beale also told the Sun Times that if Wednesday's vote fails, he plans to call a special council meeting to propose a new ordinance and authorize a new city official to negotiate a deal.
A 2021 report from Chicago’s Inspector General showed that only 9% of gunshot alerts were linked to gun-related crimes and also questioned the quality of officers’ responses to ShotSpotter alerts.
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However, the Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies have praised the technology for identifying shootings and saving lives by speeding up emergency response times. Officials said it is much faster than waiting for someone to call 911 to report a shooting.
Johnson first announced his decision not to renew ShotSpotter’s contract in February, though he confirmed the contract would be extended through Sept. 22. At the time, Beale criticized Johnson for waiting until after the Democratic National Convention to pull the plug on the system.
Johnson previously extended the city's contract with SoundThinking Inc. until after the Democratic National Convention. (Vincent Alban/Getty Images)
“If ShotSpotter is so bad, cancel it now,” Beale told WMAQ-TV at the time. “Why do they want to wait until a month after the Democratic National Convention? They want to protect the people coming to the Democratic National Convention and then cancel it a month later? It's good enough for them; why isn't it good enough for the rest of the people here in the city of Chicago?”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor's office and Beale for further comment.
Fox News' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
