'It's illegal': Mayor determined to get rid of ShotSpotter in spite of City Council's vote

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Mayor Brandon Johnson is standing firm on his decision to cancel a controversial gunshot detection system, despite an attempt by the Chicago City Council to bypass the mayor.

Johnson said Wednesday it doesn't matter if the City Council voted 33-14 to give Police Superintendent Larry Snelling the authority to extend the ShotSpotter contract.

He said that's because only the mayor legally has that power.

“It’s illegal,” Johnson said. “You have to start to raise questions of why now in the interest of democracy now that you have someone who is firm in their values of investing in people that all of a sudden that we don’t believe that person should have the powers that every other mayors has had.”

Johnson repeated his arguments that ShotSpotter is not effective in reducing crime and that several other cities have also abandoned the technology.

The mayor said a better use of resources to make neighborhoods safer is to invest in them and their people.

“Cities all over America are canceling the technology,” Johnson said. “Houston, this a red state, this is not just blue states. More moderate to conservative leaders, San Antonio, Seattle, New Orleans, they’re canceling it because it is proven to be ineffective.”

He said he is willing to sit down with the alders as the City finds technology that can work.

WBBM's Craig Dellimore contributed to this report.

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