Chris Taliaferro, an alderman who chairs the City Council's Committee on Police and Fire, pushed back on the decision to end the use of the technology.
"I am deeply disappointed that we will no longer be using the ShotSpotter technology to help our officers respond to calls more rapidly, render aid to gunshot victims in a more timely manner and ultimately save lives," he said in an email to NPR. "This has been a valuable tool for our police officers in high crime police districts, where some of them average a murder nearly every two weeks."
He continued that the city is "taking a step backwards" by relying on the traditional 911 call to respond to shots being fired in neighborhoods, delaying officers' response times.
"This move will certainly prove to be detrimental to the growth of Black communities and robs these communities of yet another resource aimed at helping to build the community," he said.