Chicago Expands Gunshot‑Detection Pilot After Voters Back Its Return

Overview

• The city reversed a plan for a single preselected vendor and will let all short‑listed bidders demonstrate technologies in a six‑month pilot across six South and West Side police districts after the nonbinding referendum on Nov. 3 showed roughly 72% support for restoring gunshot detection.
• Mayor Brandon Johnson said he favors gunshot detection in principle but cited reports from the Cook County State’s Attorney and the city inspector general that found ShotSpotter did not clearly improve safety or prosecutions, and he wants clearer evidence before approving a long‑term contract.
• The pilot will test a mix of systems and tactics, including acoustic and camera‑based shot detection, drone situational tools, license‑plate readers, and violence‑interruption strategies in Wentworth, Calumet, Englewood, Deering, Ogden and Harrison districts.
• SoundThinking, parent of ShotSpotter, demanded inclusion in any tests and has said the city did not contact it after a 2025 demonstration, while some aldermen accused the administration of stalling and urged a faster replacement to restore alerts to affected neighborhoods.
• City officials will also evaluate an existing year‑long ZeroEyes trial and the upcoming demonstrations before deciding on any permanent award, a process that could shape how privacy rules, performance measures and procurement transparency are written into a future contract.