Chicago to test new gunshot detection pilot system on South Side
CHICAGO (CBS) — A possible replacement for the now-decommissioned ShotSpotter gunshot detection system ShotSpotter is set to be tested in Chicago's 15th Ward.
The six-month pilot program from Alarm.com is being offered free of charge in the Chicago Police Department's Deering (9th) District, which parts of the South and Southwest sides. The Back of the Yards neighborhood is where the test is planned.
But on Monday, Alarm.com did not elaborate on the cost, should the city enter into a contract.
The much-anticipated move in favor of a new system comes months after ShotSpotter was deactivated. Mayor Brandon Johnson argued the system was unreliable and said he would be launching a process to find potential replacements.
Some members of the Chicago City Council who supported the program said they raised $2.5 million to help find a new gunshot detection system contract as soon as possible
The price tag was a huge criticism of ShotSpotter, which cost taxpayers roughly $50 million between 2017 and its cancellation in the fall of 2024.
"The mayor has said, 'Show me a pilot, show me a product, and let's see how we can make it work," said Ald. Ray Lopez (15th). "There you have it."
Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), a subsidiary of Alarm.com, said the difference between their technology and others—like ShotSpotter—is that theirs uses infrared cameras that detect a muzzle flash to confirm something that sounds like a gunshot.
In a demonstration Lopez organized Monday, the system did not activate for false alarms from noises such as a slapper prop, a balloon popping, or a nail gun that could be mistaken for the discharge of a .22 cartridge.
But the system did activate for a prop gun that uses a muzzle flash.
Lopez said the city was conducting "a test to prove what's possible."
D.C. Metro-based Alarm.com called its SDS sensor "essentially a smoke alarm for gunfire detection."
The SDS system has been used in US military settings since 2005 to detect sniper fire, for example. It has been available commercially since 2014.
Alarm.com said the goal would be to have the SDS system go live in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood early this summer.
"We're passionate about this technology and what it can do, and we want to get the word out," said Alarm.com vice president Matt Zartman.
The system coordinates acoustic and infrared technology with cameras and an automated drone.
"You would have cameras activated showing you exactly what the shooter looks like," said Marquis McClure, security operations manager for Alarm.com. "You'd be able to track that shooter throughout. the facility or outside in the neighborhood.
But technology watchdog Lucy Parsons Labs is already skeptical of the plan.
"Raymond Lopez is just brushing shoulders at these companies that want to take ShotSpotter's market share," said Alejandro Ruizesparza Lucy Parsons Labs. "It doesn't alter the underlying causes of violence. If anything, it just accelerates punishment and punitive structures. It just throws people in jail."
Meanwhile, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) and other aldermen said Sunday that while they are open to learning about new technology, they will stop short if it doesn't make sense.
"ShotSpotter was faulty; was a waste of time. It's being actually discontinued in other cities," Sigcho-Lopez said. "We're going look at what kind of proposal is put forward, and again, we're looking at what works, and not what is not politically convenient by, unfortunately, a few people in the City Council."
Ald. Ray Lopez said "the ball is in the mayor's court" when it comes to the future of the technology. The city has said it is still considering several companies that responded to its request for information, or RFI.
Late Monday, a City of Chicago spokesperson issued this statement:
"To launch a technology pilot, the City must either utilize an existing technology contract that establishes a clear path to purchase or release a Request for Information ("RFI") and develop a pilot based on the submissions. In either instance, the Department of Law and Department of Procurement Services must review and approve prior to the pilot commencing.
"In 2024, the City issued an RFI to gather recommendations on reliable and efficient forms of first responder technology that will ensure immediate attention from first responders in emergency situations. The Mayor's Office of Community Safety, the Office of Public Safety Administration, the Chicago Police Department, the Department of Procurement Services, and several other departments have reviewed the submissions received through that request, and the next step will be to issue an RFP. In parallel, the City is exploring pilots following the official pilot process. These pilots will allow CPD and others an opportunity to examine new gunshot detection technologies and begin real world testing. We continue to work alongside the Chicago Police Department to identify additional areas throughout the city to pilot.
"We have a standard RFP process for procuring technology and that process will roll out after assessing information from the relevant RFI. In advance of that rollout, we provide notice to communities, local leaders and residents of new technologies and conduct training with CPD, OEMC and other agencies to ensure compliance and full implementation.
The action advertised at a press conference this afternoon by the 15th ward alderman is outside our official city process."
Alarm.com said it did not respond to the city's RFI.
