CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- The Johnson Administration now says it may not be able to test a potential replacement for the "ShotSpotter" gunshot detection technology until the first of the year, and that's leaving aldermen frustrated.
"This is so disingenuous," Northwest side Ald. Samantha Nugent told city procurement chief Sharla Roberts during a City Council budget hearing Monday evening, accusing her and the Administration of "obstruction" by not appearing at a hearing last month into the city's nearly two-year-long search for a ShotSpotter replacement, not sharing details about a test program planned for this month, and then announcing the test has been delayed.
"You are not moving forward on what my colleagues and I have been asking for," said Ald. Nugent (39th Ward). Her Downtown colleague Ald. Brendan Reilly made reference to the November 3 citywide referendum, which saw a majority of voters approving a non-binding resolution calling for the city to deploy gunshot-detection technology.
"When can the three-quarters of Chicago voters get what they've been asking for?" asked Ald. Reilly (42nd Ward).
Roberts told aldermen that the pilot program, first mentioned in an October 20 communication to members of a City Council committee, was pulled back to bring in more potential technologies and contractors: "We are re-assessing based on all the feedback and meeting with the departments."
That answer left Ald. Nugent more frustrated: "I don't think you, in your heart of hearts, believe you're ever gonna roll this thing out."
Mayor Brandon Johnson ended the city's contract with ShotSpotter's parent company SoundThinking in the fall of 2024, citing studies suggesting it wasn't effective and at one point comparing it to a "walkie-talkie on a pole." But during an appearance in Roseland Tuesday, the mayor said he's always been in favor of gunshot-detection technology.
"I'm supportive of good technology," the mayor said. "Everyone in the city of Chicago deserves to feel safe. The way (ShotSpotter) was administered ... was proven to be ineffective. And the people of the city of Chicago deserve effective government."
Mayor says he favors "good technology" to succeed ShotSpotter
Mayor says he favors "good technology" to succeed ShotSpotter
