SoundThinking's vice president of corporate development, Gary Bunyard, has extended an offer to the City of Chicago to slash the cost of using the gunshot detection system by 48 percent. According to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times, the company proposes to reduce its monthly charge from $1.2 million to $626,012 over the next 15 months. This strategic move comes just days before the technology is set to be deactivated in several of Chicago's police districts.
The offer aims to quickly negotiate an extension with the city council, providing Chicago with more time to assess gunshot detection alternatives. Under the proposed deal, the city's 15-month expense would drop to $9.5 million, compared with the $9 million yearly fee previously agreed upon. However, SoundThinking conditions their proposal on the extension being approved no later than Friday, September 20, along with Mayor Brandon Johnson's commitment to follow through with the new terms. Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) backs the system, telling a news conference, "If one life is saved with gunshot detection technology, then it is worth having."
Mayor Johnson, while being true to his campaign promise, had previously terminated the city's contract with ShotSpotter, led by a rising anti-technology sentiment following the 2021 police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. But his cancellation did not have the desired finality, as the city council, police officials, and even the company itself have been clinging on, with Chicago's streets as the battleground. SoundThinking CEO Ralph Clark, in a conversation with ABC7, defended the system, stating, "It's critically important that folks understand that 80% to 90% of criminal gunfire doesn't generate a 911 call."
Despite these assertions and the significant price reduction, ShotSpotter's effectiveness continues to spark debate. ABC7's analysis of Chicago Police Department data pointed out that the system's alerts result in finding a shooting victim only 7.1% of the time. Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) draws attention to this, saying, "About 83% to 88% of ShotSpotter alerts turn up nothing," highlighting the system's questionable efficiency. Nevertheless, Ald. David Moore (17th) stressed the importance of the technology, reasoning, "But yet, somebody who is not an expert in safety says, 'Get rid of it,'" referring to Mayor Johnson's stance against ShotSpotter.
The looming deadline of September 22, when the current contract extension is set to expire, exacerbates the tension. Both sides are set to present ShotSpotter's latest efficacy data on Monday, as Chicago taxpayers anticipate spending a total of $53 million on the system, lest SoundThinking begins to dismantle its sensors on September 23, marking a potential end to an era of heightened acoustic monitoring on Chicago's streets.
