Future of ShotSpotter unclear after Mayor Brandon Johnson refuses to veto ordinance to revive system

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago City Council members have not given up their fight to save ShotSpotter after Mayor Brandon Johnson refused to veto legislation that would allow the city to keep using the gunshot detection technology.

A special City Council meeting on the issue was canceled Wednesday. The meeting was called in anticipation of a mayoral veto, but when that did not happen, there was no reason to hold the special meeting.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

It's still not clear if ShotSpotter has any realistic future.

When the ShotSpotter contract expired last month, the system was shut down, fulfilling a promise Mayor Johnson made to get rid of the technology.

On Wednesday, supporters were brewing for another fight, ready to vote and override a mayoral veto.

"Looks like the mayor did not want to veto it and suffer a defeat on the veto, because there were, initially it was 33 people who voted for it, but the reality is closer to 37 that would have overridden the veto," 36th Ward Ald. Gil Villegas said.

The ordinance would have authorized Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling to sign a contract with ShotSpotter and continue the contract.

The mayor has previously argued the ordinance is illegal. Council members are considering a lawsuit if needed to force the mayor's hand.

"The ball is really in the mayor's court," 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins said. "He can render this whole thing unnecessary if he simply follows the law. That's all we're asking. We passed a law. It's a legally binding law. Follow it, stick to it, and all this talk about lawsuits can just fade away."

A leading ShotSpotter supporter announced Tuesday that the business community is offering $2.5 million to support continuing the technology while other options are considered.

"I don't care about the company. We care about the technology," 17th Ward Ald. David Moore said. "And so at the end of the day there's always some home that some meetings of the minds can come. And I hope that's the case."

The mayor made it clear there Wednesday is no going back to ShotSpotter.

"Cities all of America have called into question the effectiveness of this particular form of technology," Mayor Johnson said. "What I've said is that we have to have technology that works, and that we have opened up a process to give people an opportunity to weigh in with that that did not happen in 2016 2017 in fact, had it happened, I probably would be in a much better position right now."