Gunshot Detection Pilot Could Reach Third of City in Week

Interim police Superintendent Fred Waller said Wednesday a gunshot detection pilot program could start across roughly a third of Chicago within a week, though he and other officials declined at the department's budget hearing to name the company providing the technology or explain how it would operate.

Waller called the technology a "valuable tool" during the hearing and referred questions about specifics to subordinates, who also declined to give details. Asked by reporters for more information during a break, he said, "I wish I knew, I wish I knew more."

Dan Casey, managing deputy director at the Office of Public Safety Administration, pointed to an active request for proposals when aldermen pressed him. "Unfortunately, we can't discuss this if it's there," Casey said. Chief Procurement Officer Sharla Roberts' office said in a statement from spokesperson Sha-Narah Bratt that withholding vendor names during negotiations is "our best practice to not disclose the names of potential vendors during the ongoing negotiations process until the contract is fully executed."

The pilot is separate from that procurement process and would run for six months before data is analyzed, according to Johnson spokesperson Allison Novelo, who said testing would begin "as soon as possible" with updates in early November. Novelo also identified other programs slated for testing: drone-based situational awareness, license plate recognition, evidence collection and violence interrupter engagement tools.

The city began seeking a replacement for the ShotSpotter system in February 2025 after Johnson ended that contract in 2024. Johnson has earmarked $5 million for gunshot detection technology in his 2027 budget proposal. In a statement Wednesday, Johnson said the pilots would test tools before long-term commitments are made: "These pilots ensure that before we make long-term commitments, we understand what works, listen to the communities impacted, and make sure we're getting results for Chicagoans, not simply enriching large corporations."

Aldermen voiced frustration over the lack of detail. "Let's just let the cat out of the bag," Ald. Matt O'Shea said. "We need procurement here. We need the mayor's office here to tell us this pilot." Ald. Marty Quinn, 13th, asked why the 8th District was not selected for the pilot. "People are really aggravated for being left out. It doesn't make sense," Quinn said. Waller said districts were chosen based on upticks in violent crime and told Quinn he would look into adding the 8th District.

The exchange took place as aldermen reviewed Johnson's proposed $2.25 billion police budget for 2027, a $138 million increase that is almost entirely attributed to pay raises. The proposal would leave 368 officer vacancies and 11 sergeant positions unfilled and convert 132 sworn positions to civilian roles. At the end of September, the department had exceeded its year-to-date overtime budget by $14 million while spending nearly $7 million less than the same point a year earlier, according to police data. Johnson also proposed borrowing $480 million to cover lawsuit settlements tied to alleged police misconduct, many decades old.