Mayor Johnson's decision to cancel ShotSpotter is criticized by the Chicago city council as a violation of his campaign promise, putting lives at risk.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's criticism of ShotSpotter as "walkie-talkies on a pole" is facing opposition from city council members who want to renew the gunshot detection system's contract, which expires on Sunday.

Johnson stated that the ShotSpotter program, owned by SoundThinking Inc., has not been successful in reducing overall gun violence in Chicago, and the city cannot afford to allow corporations to profit off the pain and suffering of its residents.

"Johnson stated, "The $100 million allocated for walkie-talkies on poles was aimed at decreasing gun violence, but it failed to achieve that goal.""

Since 2012, the police have been receiving information about the location of gunfire thanks to the ShotSpotter technology's network of acoustic sensors.

Despite Johnson's commitment to dismantling the system, members of the city council remain resolute in maintaining it, with a planned vote on a new ordinance scheduled for Wednesday.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling will have the option to either renew the current technology system or start a new one with the same technology under the upcoming ordinance.

Chicago's 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale defended ShotSpotter and criticized Johnson for disregarding the system.

Beale apologized to the Chicago Sun Times, stating that he felt it was unfair to compare "saving lives" to "walkie-talkies on a stick."

Johnson doesn't understand the tool and it's a campaign issue. He's trying to keep a campaign promise at the expense of lives.

If the vote on Wednesday fails, Beale intends to call for a special council meeting to propose a new ordinance and authorize a new city official to negotiate a deal.

The Chicago Inspector General's 2021 report revealed that only 9% of gunshot alerts were linked to gun-related crimes and questioned the effectiveness of officers' responses to ShotSpotter alerts.

The Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies have commended the technology for its ability to quickly identify shootings and save lives by expediting emergency response times. Officials assert that it is significantly faster than waiting for someone to call 911 to report gunfire.

Johnson initially declared in February that he would not renew the ShotSpotter contract, but later confirmed that it would continue until September 22. At the time, Beale accused Johnson of delaying the cancellation until after the Democratic National Convention.

"If ShotSpotter is so bad, cancel it now," Beale told WMAQ-TV at the time. "Why do you want to wait until a month after the DNC? So you want to protect the people that are coming in for the DNC and then cancel it a month after? It’s good enough for them; why is it not good enough for the rest of the people here in the city of Chicago?"

The mayor's office and Beale were contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for additional comment.

Planet Chronicle' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.