Mayor Brandon Johnson has backed away from a plan to veto a City Council ordinance that would have continued the ShotSpotter gun detection system, which ended last month.
Johnson had promised to veto the ordinance, which passed on a 33-14 vote, but was unable to take action by Wednesday morning’s deadline. A spokesperson told WBEZ that the mayor changed his plan because the administration determined the ordinance was no longer legally enforceable.
But if the veto goes ahead, Johnson will suffer an embarrassing and unprecedented defeat.
Southside Aldo. Janet Taylor, who came in 20th place, was absent from the September vote. She told the Tribune earlier this week that she planned to vote against the mayor to keep acoustic firing technology in Chicago. If Taylor does so, he will likely receive the minimum 34 votes needed to override Johnson’s veto.
“We have nothing. What’s going on with the woman who was there for nine hours and no one came? Something needs to be done and they have enough time to do it.” Taylor said, referring to a woman who was shot to death in an East Side neighborhood late last month and whose body was not found until the next morning. Supporters of ShotSpotter argue that police would have been able to respond more quickly with the system.
Johnson argued the ordinance was illegal because he was the only person with authority over city contracts. The September decree, like the one passed with a veto in May, aims to strip Prime Minister Boris Johnson of contracting powers.
The City Council is scheduled to consider yet another similar ordinance on Wednesday, and Johnson is likely to argue again that the ordinance is unenforceable, but his veto did not materialize, so ShotSpotter supporters canceled the meeting.
Ald said aldermen supporting ShotSpotter are still considering suing the city if Johnson doesn’t enforce the September ordinance. 2nd place Brian Hopkins. Like other council members, Hopkins called on the mayor to immediately implement effective acoustic gunshot detection software, but if another company offers a similar tool, it must go through ShotSpotter. He added that there was no.
“The ball is in the mayor’s court. We’ll see what he does and respond accordingly,” Hopkins said.
This year, the battle over the controversial gunshot detection system has drawn a lot of attention to City Hall. The fight intensified late last month when Mr Johnson implemented plans to phase out ShotSpotter.
Hours before he did so, his administration apparently announced it would begin the procurement process for similar acoustic gunshot detection software. The announcement is welcome news for some city councilors who believe such technology is badly needed, but also think it’s time to move beyond the retaliation of political sniping surrounding ShotSpotter. It was.
Ars. Lamont Robinson, No. 4, and Walter Barnett, No. 27, told the Tribune that they plan to vote yes if the mayor vetoes the ShotSpotter ordinance, and plans to improve police enforcement in the short and long term. He cited expectations that a replacement for the tool would be available soon. Both councilors were absent from the previous vote, supported ShotSpotter in past votes, and believe it is time for City Hall to halt the discussion.
“Instead of focusing on finding better technology, we are wasting our time on divisive proposals that undermine our strong collaboration with the Chicago Police Department,” Robinson told the Tribune. Ta. “People aren’t getting together and talking.”
Robinson said the search for ShotSpotter’s successor is moving in a “better direction.” Police leaders in his South Side district say such technology is needed, but he believes there is a better system than ShotSpotter. As the search continues, Mr Johnson’s team must ensure that councilors are included, he added.
“The mayor’s office is drinking from the fire department, but we have to be able to bring the City Council into these conversations,” Robinson said. “We need to get something in place as soon as possible, no questions asked.”
Garien Gatewood, Johnson’s deputy mayor for security, declined to answer questions about when the interim technology would be introduced. But Barnett, an aide to the mayor, said it could happen soon.
“(The mayor) told me there’s a better product out there,” Barnett said. “He has given me indications that he has other things in mind, so I would like to give him that opportunity.”
Aldo. David Moore (17th) speaks about a motion to extend the city’s contract with Sound Thinking’s ShotSpotter service during a City Council meeting at Chicago City Hall on September 18, 2024. (Tess Crowley/Chicago) Tribune)
Similar criticism of ShotSpotter’s discussion came a few weeks ago from Anthony Driver Jr., chairman of the Community Committee on Public Safety and Accountability. Driver said the long-running City Hall battle has prevented a broader discussion about how to make Chicago safer.
But now that ShotSpotter is offline, the need to come up with a plan to fill that void has become increasingly clear, Driver said Wednesday. He also mentioned the shooting death of Sierra Evans, a 19-year-old whose body was found near a fence on the East Side several hours after she was apparently shot.
“I’m very concerned about the current situation we’re in. I’m very concerned that people who need help aren’t getting it,” he said. “You can’t wing it. It’s life or death.”
But while some have grown weary of the nearly year-long battle over ShotSpotter, supporters of the technology are doing more to keep it in Chicago. The system’s infrastructure, which is currently inactive, is still operational, primarily in the Westside and Southside neighborhoods.
The Commercial Club is providing $2.5 million to the city of Chicago, which the city pays to maintain the system, which costs about $10 million a year, Ald. David Moore, ranked 17th, made the announcement on Tuesday. Moore told the Tribune that the group hopes to receive funding to keep ShotSpotter on as a “filler” while the mayor searches for a replacement.
However, questions about the effectiveness of this technology continue to grow. A study published Wednesday by Southside Weekly found that ShotSpotter missed 20% of the mass shootings reported in Chicago over the past two years.
jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
First published: October 9, 2024 at 12:26 p.m.
