ShotSpotter Ends Despite Alderman Dowell’s Vote to Keep Technology
As of Monday, September 23rd, the City of Chicago’s contract with ShotSpotter has been ended. This means that the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, owned by SoundThinking, is no longer active in any of Chicago’s neighborhoods. Alderman Dowell voted in City Council to keep the ShotSpotter system in place, but fulfilling his campaign promise, Mayor Brandon Johnson has ended the City’s use of ShotSpotter technology. There is no replacement gunshot detection system currently in use, though the City has just released a Request for Information for “qualified vendors with extensive experience in first-response technology.” This can and may include technologies such as ShotSpotter or alternative gunshot detection systems.
Alderman Dowell voted in favor of continuing to use ShotSpotter because it works. When there was a ShotSpotter alert alone, the average police response time was 8 minutes, 6 seconds, compared to 10 minutes, 11 seconds when ShotSpotter was combined with a 911 call. With a 911 call alone, the average response time grew to 10 minutes, 48 seconds. Data from the University of Chicago Crime Lab also showed that there was a “3-in-4 chance that the technology saves about 85 lives per year.” Without a viable replacement in place, Alderman Dowell voted to keep this lifesaving technology active in Chicago’s most needed police districts.
With ShotSpotter deactivated, the Chicago Police Department is asking that all residents alert 911 to any suspected public safety incidences, including suspected gunshots. It is more important now than ever that residents work hand-in-hand with police to monitor their neighborhoods and ensure every potential incident is recorded.