Chicago alderman claims ShotSpotter alerted police to fallen officer 5 minutes before 911 calls

CHICAGO - One Chicago alderman is calling attention to ShotSpotter after an off-duty officer was fatally shot Sunday morning. 

Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) claims ShotSpotter, the city's gun detection system, alerted police to a wounded off-duty officer five minutes before anyone called 911. 

"That extra time is invaluable and you blissfully choose to ignore that fact," Lopez posted on X. 

The attention to ShotSpotter comes after Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Chicago's contract with ShotSpotter will expire on Sept. 22, 2024. 

In mid-February, there was debate about whether the city would extend the contract as the expiration loomed. Eventually, the city extended its contract with SoundThinking, the entity responsible for the ShotSpotter technology, just hours before it expired. 

At a city council meeting days later on Feb. 21, Johnson hinted at a replacement for ShotSpotter.

Several major cities have canceled contracts with ShotSpotter, including Atlanta. 

When Johnson ran for office, he made it clear he would cancel the city's $33 million contract with SoundThinking and reinvest the money. 

There has long been debate about ShotSpotter in Chicago dating back to a scathing report from the Office of the Inspector General in 2021. On the other hand, the Chicago Police Department and several other city council members have long praised the system, saying it puts officers on the scene of shootings far faster than if they wait for someone to call 911 to report gunfire.

*EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story cited remarks made by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during a press conference on Feb. 15, 2024, where he erroneously stated Dallas and Philadelphia canceled their respective ShotSpotter contracts. Neither of those cities has ever had an agreement with Shotspotter, according to company spokesman Rob Merritt.