CHICAGO -- Mayor Brandon Johnson's plan to stop using controversial ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology in Chicago this fall was met with resistance from a key City Council panel on Monday, with some alderpersons wanting to keep it available on a ward-by-ward basis.The City Council Police and Fire Committee on Monday approved a measure introduced by Ald. David Moore that would require a City Council vote to halt the use of ShotSpotter technology in any given ward.
Several aldermen also noted that Johnson decided to get rid of ShotSpotter even though Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling has been a vocal supporter of the technology.However, critics have questioned the accuracy of ShotSpotter technology, and whether it is worth the continued cost to taxpayers.Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez pointed to a 2021 report from the city's inspector general that found the vast majority of ShotSpotter deployments turn up no evidence, reportable incident, or crime.