Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson may be intent on ending a contract with ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection technology, but not if the City Council can do anything about it.
In what is being described as a “stunning rebuke” of the progressive mayor, the City Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance 34-14 that attempts to limit Johnson’s ability to cancel the agreement with the company that owns the technology. But Johnson said in a press conference afterward they have no authority to do so.
The order calls for a City Council vote before ShotSpotter is removed from any Chicago ward and requires the Johnson administration to provide alderpeople with a host of data generated by the ShotSpotter system before the city’s contract with SoundThinking expires on Nov. 22.
Johnson could veto the order, which he has said is unlawful. However, two-thirds of the City Council voted in favor of it, raising the possibility that the City Council could override a mayoral veto, which has never happened in Chicago history.
The order approved by the City Council said Johnson “usurped the will of the City Council and their ability to represent constituents” by canceling the city’s contract with SoundThinking, which operates the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system.
Johnson was defiant after the meeting.
“This particular measure that was voted on today did nothing,” Johnson said. “The City Council, the legislative body, does not have executive authority.”
Johnson said the vote was a “testament to the level of fear ... of what it takes to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago.” (WTTW)
Mayor Brandon Johnson ended Chicago's contract with ShotSpotter after activists complained that the gunshot-detection technology is racist.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 23, 2024
City Council just voted to REINSTATE it, including many loyal Democrats.
Johnson is not happy about it: pic.twitter.com/Fazp6aZqxH
BREAKING: Chicago City Council rejects Mayor Brandon Johnson’s decision to end the city’s use of ShotSpotter by an overwhelming vote of 34-14. pic.twitter.com/qBstXmIgWd
— Austin Berg (@Austin__Berg) May 22, 2024
While Johnson has claimed the technology "has been proven to be ineffective," supporters disagree.
ShotSpotter supporters, including Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, said because many people do not call 911 when they hear gunshots, the technology allows police to respond to crime scenes faster and potentially save lives, especially in situations with multiple shots.
"Ninety shots, six shooters, not one person called police, so this is safe for the DNC, not for my constituents," Ald. Monique Scott said. (ABC7 Chicago)
A spokesperson for ShotSpotter's parent company SoundThinking said they are grateful for the show of support.
"We are deeply grateful for the groundswell of public support and the City Council decision today which will enhance CPD's collection, analysis, and public reporting on ShotSpotter gunfire-related data. We support greater transparency, which will allow Chicago's elected officials and community leaders to fully assess the outcomes of gunshot detection, a critical component of the City's public safety infrastructure that ultimately helps save lives and address gun violence. We are committed to serving the citizens of Chicago to quickly respond to criminal gunfire incidents to drive more effective, efficient, and equitable public safety outcomes."
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