When efforts to counteract racism lead to the creation of false narratives, they can inadvertently amplify the very harm they seek to prevent. This paradox is exemplified by Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, who embodies the ideology of ‘anti-racist’ justice reform. Unfortunately, the implementation of such a worldview has proven fatal to some of Chicago’s inhabitants.
A grim picture of the hazardous consequences of Johnson’s approach surfaced on a Tuesday night. The Chicago police discovered Eduardo Gamez, a 43-year-old man, lifeless in his vehicle. Gamez’s auto was presented as a perforated target of gun violence, with bullet marks scattered across its body. The unfortunate victim had succumbed to a gunshot wound to his stomach.
The appalling circumstances surrounding Gamez’s death were laden with chilling peculiarities. His car, still functioning as they discovered him, was an indication that he’d been stationary for about two and a half hours prior. Significantly, Gamez’s fatal end was attributed to the fact that none of the bystanders rang 911 to report the gunfire sounds. The police were alerted to the scene only because a complaint had been lodged against his car, which was double-parked and left running.
The unsettling truth is that the locale where Gamez was fatally shot once benefited from the vigilant ears of the city’s ShotSpotter network. This aid had been revoked the previous year as a part of a reform led by Mayor Johnson. The ShotSpotter system comprised acoustic sensors that were strategically mounted on streetlights in high-crime regions of the city.
The utility of the ShotSpotter was to activate 911 calls and pinpoint the origin of gunfire sounds, enhancing the police’s response efficiency. Hypothetically speaking, had ShotSpotter not been decommissioned, authorities might have been promptly alerted about the shooting incident. Consequently, Gamez could have potentially obtained the critical medical attention he direly needed.
Disturbingly, the termination of the ShotSpotter service has coincided with an unnerving trend of violence in Chicago. Since September 23, 2024, the city has recorded an alarming 27 shooting incidents, out of which 12 were lethal.
In defense of his decision to axe ShotSpotter, Johnson stressed the necessity for ‘evidence-based, holistic solutions’ aimed towards violence prevention, rather than mere response strategies. However, his rationale is laced with the presumption that a balanced approach, entailing preventive measures while retaining response apparatus like ShotSpotter, is seemingly unattainable.
The perceived inability to pursue prevention while also sustaining relevant response systems stems from Johnson’s belief in the racial implications of such strategies. Echoing the sentiment of the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America, the police’s high alert response to ShotSpotter’s alerts are seen as perpetuating racial disparities, particularly in predominantly black and brown communities.
As the narrative goes, Chicago’s most perilous regions recorded the most violence and subsequently were where ShotSpotter was deployed the most; these areas, unfortunately, are predominantly occupied by minority populations. Such an association, as per Johnson’s ideology, exuded racial bias, thereby calling for ShotSpotter’s disassembly.
Hence, Johnson’s perspective, tainted with what can be described as a racial bias, has now permeated into the public safety regulations in Chicago. The fatal outcomes of such ideological predispositions paint a grim picture.