Police have responded to gunfire 2.5 minutes faster when alerted by ShotSpotter this year: CPD data

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police spreadsheets and bar graphs illuminated the big screens inside city council chambers on Monday morning.

The publicly available numbers themselves have no intended narrative.

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"ShotSpotter has accuracy rating, in current data period, 99%. That is not ShotSpotter data. That is Chicago police," said Public Safety Committee Chairperson Ald. Brian Hopkins.

Broken down more specifically, this new Chicago police data shows gunfire generated nearly 30,000 ShotSpotter alerts in the first eight months of 2024.

Roughly 75% of those alerts had no corresponding 911 call.

Of those 30,000 alerts, police data shows officers collected about 29,000 shell casings.

EXCLUSIVE | CEO of company overseeing ShotSpotter sits down with ABC7 as clock ticks down on Chicago contract

What is a ShotSpotter? Debate about the Chicago shootings detection technology will come before the city council's public safety committee Monday.

It is a point Ralph Clark, the CEO of the company that operates ShotSpotter, hit repeatedly during ABC7's exclusive interview this summer.

"There's a huge public safety gap if guns are fired and there's no police response. That technology, our technology basically closes the public safety gap, and we pick up where 911 falls short. Eighty percent to 90% of gunfire goes unreported, which means there's no response," Clark said.

Chicago police data shows since January of this year, police have responded two-and-a-half minutes faster to gunfire alerted only by ShotSpotter, in about 12 minutes, than the 14.5 minutes it takes officers to arrive when responding to a 911 call without a ShotSpotter alert.

Inside ShotSpotter's incident review center, audio analysts generate the alert in about a minute.

SEE ALSO | Chicago police supt. defends ShotSpotter, says communication with mayor 'could have been better'

In response to those alerts, Chicago police data shows officers have aided 143 gunshot victims since January.

"This is upsetting my soul that we have to fight for ShotSpotter today," said Ald. Anthony Beale.

The city's six-month, $8.6 million extension with the company is set to run out Sept. 22.

Most of the alderpeople at Monday's hearing, including a former police officer and alderpersons from violent wards, showed up to fight in vigorous defense of the technology.

"We're basically going to play Russian roulette with our constituents' lives," said Ald. Monique Scott.

READ MORE | ShotSpotter Chicago: How police use high-tech equipment to fight crime

"As the only member of council who has used ShotSpotter, when there wasn't ShotSpotter, and shots would go off, it's a crap shoot," said Ald. Pete Chico.

"Why are we fighting for public safety when we are rolling out the red carpet for people just coming here and taking advantage of the hard-working people of this city?" said Ald. Anthony Beale.

Citing concerns with over policing and cost, Mayor Brandon Johnson is adamant ShotSpotter will stop operating in Chicago later this month.

"I think it's important we not look back to the past but go forward to new ideas to prevent violence in city," said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez.

SEE ALSO | Mayor Johnson, Chicago City Council disagree on who can end use of ShotSpotter technology