Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
After the city of Chicago announced that a contract to use ShotSpotter technology would not be renewed earlier this week, a lack of clarity has emerged regarding when the devices will go out of service.
In an initial announcement, Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration said that the city would not renew their contract with SoundThinking, the company that operates ShotSpotter, though the devices would continue to be used until September.
A later statement from SoundThinking said they had attempted to negotiate an extension with the city, but no agreement was in place when Johnson announced that the devices would continue to be used until September.
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As a result, the devices could be deactivated at midnight Saturday morning when the city's contract with SoundThinking expires.
“Throughout much of 2023, SoundThinking attempted to engage the city of Chicago regarding an extension of the ShotSpotter service,” a spokesperson said. “As recently as Dec. 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was presented to the city for a 12-month extension.”
It is not clear if the devices will become inactive immediately at the conclusion of the deal.
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The controversial technology has invited criticism and praise since it was installed since 2012. Chicago Ald. Chris Taliaferro says the decision to remove ShotSpotter “is a great loss to the city,” echoing sentiments of some other officials.
"It's a great loss for the city of Chicago, particularly as we go into the summer months, (and) as we go into the Democratic National Convention with a police department that is already undersized by at least 2,000 officers," he said.
Ald. Anthony Beale criticized the administration for announcing the parameters of the decision before a contract before it was agreed upon.
"The city has lost all of its leverage when you make an announcement you're canceling ShotSpotter and extending it until September without having a signed contract," he said. "They can turn the switch off at midnight Friday night."
15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez heralded ShotSpotter as "life-saving technology," saying that its quick alert times had helped save the lives of shooting victims.
"It's not meant as a deterrent, because no one ever said 'Oh, look. There's ShotSpotter, I'm not going to shoot.' But what it did do was allow us to respond and know that there was a shooting happening and send police accordingly," Lopez said.
Lopez criticized the Johnson administration's decision as "very foolish and short-sighted" while saying that the move jeopardizes safety for political purposes.
Critics meanwhile are skeptical about the usefulness of the technology, warning that it actually can result in negative outcomes.
"ShotSpotter initially was saying it was for reducing violence. What we know is it's not effective at all for reducing violence," 40th Ward Ald. Andre Vasquez said.
Vasquez added that he believes officials need to have more dialogue on what public safety looks like and what exactly the city wanted out of ShotSpotter technology.
Johnson’s mayoral campaign included promises to get rid of the technology, saying it was unreliable and citing incidents like the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in 2021.
Groups like “#StopShotSpotter” argue that treating gun violence as a public health issue, rather than a problem in need of “flashy new law enforcement surveillance tools,” is the proper approach.
Vasquez said that having another six months with ShotSpotter technology would be "reasonable" and "responsible" to help determine what police were getting out of its usage, but also questioned SoundThinking's decision to potentially walk away from the city of Chicago this weekend.
"I think it brings into question ShotSpotter, period. Because if they're so about safety and caring about people, why would they back out of getting more money to do it for six months?" Vasquez said.
The equipment uses acoustic sensors to triangulate the sound of gunfire, with information relayed to police within 60 seconds, according to the company’s website.
SoundThinking says preliminary discussions were held over a proposed eight-to-nine month extension, but a spokesperson said that the decision by Johnson’s administration to walk away from the contract was made without consulting the company.
“We believe the shared goal of an extension period must provide the best possible data and analysis to the residents of the city of Chicago through greater transparency and reporting standards,” the company said. “The way this is secured is through a minimum 12-month extension and modifications to the city’s current data and reporting protocols.”
The company says it is willing to continue its partnership with the city, according to the statement.
Johnson announced Tuesday that the city would not extend its contract with the company, but had aimed to arrange a short-term extension through September, guaranteeing that the technology would remain in place through the summer and the Democratic National Convention.
An agreement to codify that arrangement has not yet been reached.
“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,” according to a statement from the city. “Doing this work, in consultation with community, violence prevention organizations and law enforcement, provides a pathway to a better, stronger, safer Chicago for all.”
