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Mayor Brandon Johnson announced in February that ShotSpotter
would be decommissioned on September 22nd, which is exactly one
month after the Democratic National Convention ended.
Ninth Ward Alderman Anthony Beale said the 15th Police District
is Mayor Johnson’s home district, and it is also the worst in
Chicago for gunshots.
“Luckily, he’s in a bubble, because he’s got 116 people
protecting him. You know what, we don’t have that luxury,” Beale
said.
Beale spoke at a special meeting of the city council’s Committee
on Public Safety.
“We’re spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on
migrants, OK, people who are just coming here. But we can’t
spend $8 million on technology that saves lives?” Beale asked.
The city spent $8.6 million in taxpayer funds to keep
ShotSpotter from February to September of this year.
In May, the city council voted 34-14 in favor of Alderman David
Moore’s ordinance, which ordered that the council would vote on
ShotSpotter before funding for the technology could be taken
away.
Public Safety Committee Chairman Brian Hopkins said the council
would be dealing with the order in the coming days.
15th Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez asked which technology might be
taken out next.
“Are we going to take out license plate readers next? Are we
going to take out the cameras next? At one point are we just
going to throw our hands up and turn it over to the criminals
and say, ‘You know what? The city’s yours’,” Lopez said.
Pastor and activist Donovan Price advised aldermen that
ShotSpotter technology is necessary.
“And this is not done from a campaign promise. This is not done
from an opinion from someone who lives on the other side of
town. This is from someone who stands over the bodies,” Price
said.
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