Gunshot Detection Pilot Planned For South And West Sides — But Details Are Sparse

CITY HALL — Two years after Mayor Brandon Johnson canceled the city’s ShotSpotter contract, his administration is planning to launch a pilot program that will include testing other gunshot detection technologies on parts of the South and West sides. But a week after city officials first told alderpeople the program was in the works to begin this fall, its full scope remains unclear. That sparked frustrations from City Council members on Wednesday during a larger budget hearing for the Chicago Police Department. Even the department s acting superintendent, Fred Waller, said he wished he knew more about the pilot when asked by a reporter for additional details. ShotSpotter has been one of the defining public safety issues of Johnson’s time in office. The controversial system, which uses sensors to alert first responders to the location of suspected gunfire, has been lauded by some as a vital life-saving tool and sharply criticized by others who have questioned its efficacy after