In a bold move, Mayor Brandon Johnson has decided not to renew the city's contract with ShotSpotter, effectively terminating the gunshot detection system. This decision comes after a leaked internal report from Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's Office revealed that the system has shown "minimal return on investment" in holding shooters accountable.

The report, confirmed by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office as an internal document from this fall, unveiled startling statistics. According to the findings, a mere 1% of shooting incidents end in an arrest facilitated by ShotSpotter. In contrast, a staggering 92% of shooting incidents were unrelated to the technology. The report estimated that each arrest made through ShotSpotter costs the city of Chicago a significant sum of $217,368.42.

Furthermore, the report discovered that most of the arrests resulting from ShotSpotter were for probationary crimes, underscoring concerns about the system's effectiveness in targeting serious offenders. The Cook County Public Defender's Office, which reviewed the report, voiced longstanding doubts about ShotSpotter's reliability. The office raised concerns about the possibility of innocent individuals being falsely accused due to the technology's use.

Despite facing criticism from community activists for years, the Chicago Police Department has supported the technology. However, the city's $49 million contract with SoundThinking, the company behind ShotSpotter, has been a subject of controversy. The contract was initially for three years and $33 million, but it was quietly extended for another two years, costing the city an additional $9 million annually. Last June, Mayor Johnson extended the contract by another year for an extra $10 million.

The tragic incident involving two police officers in 2018 further highlighted the challenges with ShotSpotter. Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo lost their lives when they were struck by a South Shore train while responding to a ShotSpotter alert. Body camera footage revealed that the officers inadvertently moved into the path of an approaching train after evading another one. The investigation later revealed that someone was test-firing a gun that had been found in an alley.

The termination of the ShotSpotter contract sends a clear message that Chicago is committed to reassessing its strategies for addressing gun violence. Mayor Johnson's decision, supported by the damning report from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, signifies a pivotal moment for the city as it seeks more effective and reliable solutions to combat crime.