Chicago’s Mayor To End Controversial Gunshot Detection System

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson delivers his inaugural address after taking the oath of office on May 15, 2023, in Chicago.

Chicago’s mayor is endingthe city’s contract for a controversial gunshot detection system that critics say was too expensive, ineffective, and potentially prejudicial.

Brandon Johnson announced Tuesday that the city would soon stop using ShotSpotter, a gun detection software system that was established in 1996 — fulfilling a campaign promise to walk away from the technology. 

Johnson insisted on his campaign website that the technology was “unreliable and overly susceptible to human error,” and added that it “played a pivotal role” in the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. 

Chicago police received a Shotspotter alert in March 2021. When police arrived, Toledo dropped the gun, attempting to flee, but Chicago police fatally shot him.

A year later, a lawsuit was filed against the police department and the technology saying police misused it with discriminatory policing practices.

Before the city fully steps away from the company, Johnson said the Chicago Police Department is tasked with revamping and implementing training to develop better solutions and models toward reducing shootings in the city, according to a statement. 

“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 statement said.

“Doing this work, in consultation with community, violence prevention organizations and law enforcement, provides a pathway to a better, stronger, safer Chicago for all.”

The city will be entering a new deal with a parent company, SoundThinking, to cover additional months after the former $49 million contract expires on Feb. 16. 

The gunshot technology company has been criticized for having issues detecting gunshots properly and for its impact on predominantly communities of color. 

In 2021, the City of Chicago’s Inspector issued a report criticizing the technology. 

“OIG concluded from its analysis that CPD responses to ShotSpotter alerts rarely produce documented evidence of a gun-related crime, investigatory stop, or recovery of a firearm,” the report found.

The Northwestern School of Law’s MacArthur Justice Center also found the technology played a role in driving more police stop-and-frisk incidents, and enabled officers to conduct false arrests of residents.

It was found that more than 2,400 stop-and-frisks were linked to ShotSpotter, according to the justice center’s findings over an 18 month period.

The artificial intelligence powered tool also landed a man in jail for nearly a year on murder charges based on evidence from ShotSpotter technology. A judge later dismissed his charges when prosecutors said they had insufficient evidence against him.

Last year, officials in Dayton, Ohio, decided to step away from the ShotSpotter technology after activists spoke out against the effectiveness of the tool. 

Other cities have also raised similar questions. In Detroit, residents want more information and transparency on the accuracy of the system.

Since Johnson’s announcement to step away from the company, the stock price for SoundThinking dropped significantly. The stock for ShotSpotter also dropped after Johnson was elected in April.