The unanimous vote by the interim Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability caps an effort that began in 2017 to stop the Chicago Police Department from using databases to track Chicagoans they believe to be in a gang.
Stories by Heather Cherone
City Council to Reconsider Lawyers’ Recommendation to Pay $2M to Family of Man Killed by Chicago Police Officer After 2014 Foot Chase
It is unclear what prompted the decision to reconsider the proposed settlement after the Chicago City Council rejected it in July on a vote of 22-26.
Prosecutors Do Not Plan to Call Former Ald. Solis to Testify Against Former Ald. Burke
During an April 2022 court hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu called Solis one of the most significant government informants and witnesses of the last several decades. But prosecutors do not plan to call him during the trial of former Ald. Ed Burke, set to start Nov. 6.
Chicago Police Didn’t Track How Long It Takes Officers to Respond to Half of 911 Calls: Watchdog
Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said city officials and police brass are “ill-equipped to evaluate and improve response times, simply because, more often than not, we have no information on when the police arrive to respond to an emergency.”
Election 2024 Begins: Candidates for County and State Races Start Gathering Signatures
A slate of county and state offices is up for grabs in March, including state’s attorney and circuit court clerk as well as a key seat in the Illinois House to represent the city’s Northwest Side.
Pritzker, Johnson Press Biden to Allow Migrants to Work While Seeking Asylum
More than 2,000 men, women and children are being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport, according to city data released by the mayor’s office Wednesday.
As Close Aides Face Prison Time, Madigan Preps for Trial Against Undefeated Prosecutors
Madigan, 81, once so dominant that he was known as the “velvet hammer,” was at the heart of the allegations that led to 32 guilty verdicts in those trials. He now faces an uphill battle to avoid guilty convictions to match his former chief of staff Tim Mapes and longtime political confidant Mike McClain.
Key Panel Advances Plan to Transform Former Chicago Marine Corps Facility into Migrant Shelter
The number of migrants living at police stations and O’Hare rose 28% between Aug. 18 and Friday. All are waiting for space to open up in one of 15 city shelters, which housed more than 6,500 migrants as of Friday, according to city data.
Proposal to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Homes to Fight Homelessness Gains Momentum
A revised version of the proposal known as “Bring Chicago Home” has Mayor Brandon Johnson’s support, setting up a fierce debate in the coming weeks over how the city should fight homelessness.
Johnson Walks Political Tightrope in 1st 100 Days as Allies Press Him to Deliver and Critics Seize on Missteps
Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former middle school teacher, told WTTW News on Thursday’s “Chicago Tonight” that he would give his administration an A-minus “at least for style,” with much more work to be done.
Chicago Police Department Staffing Steady During Johnson’s First 100 Days: Data
The size of the Chicago Police Department is essentially unchanged since Mayor Brandon Johnson took office 100 days ago. There are 12,363 employees, including 11,722 sworn officers.
Repeated Police Misconduct by 116 Officers Cost Chicago Taxpayers $91.3M Over 3 Years: Analysis
Chicago spent $197.7 million to resolve lawsuits alleging more than 1,000 Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Of that total, $91.3 million came from settlements involving 116 officers whose conduct led to multiple payouts.
Johnson’s Pick for Top Cop Served as Go-To Expert Witness in Police Misconduct Trials
Chief Larry Snelling, tapped by Mayor Brandon Johnson to lead the Chicago Police Department, served as an expert witness in more than two dozen civil and criminal cases involving police officers, according to court records reviewed by WTTW News.
Outrage Over Allison Arwady’s Firing Puts a Spotlight on Brandon Johnson’s Public Health Agenda
During his campaign for mayor, Brandon Johnson promised to fire Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, and Friday night, he did just that — setting off a wave of recriminations and outrage.
Biden Approves Disaster Relief for Cook County Residents Whose Homes Flooded During Severe July Storms
Cook County residents are now eligible for assistance, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, officials said.
Former Ald. Brookins Won’t Have to Pay $5,000 For Violating Ethics Ordinance After Lawsuit Against Ethics Board Is Dismissed
Chicago Board of Ethics Chair William Conlon said the settlement was “in the best interest of everyone,” while former Ald. Howard Brookins said he had been vindicated.
‘A New Chapter’: Larry Snelling Introduced as Chicago’s Next Top Cop
“This is an extremely important day for the city,” Snelling said Monday. “For people who grew up like I did — a resident of Englewood and a student of the Chicago Public Schools — I want you to know the possibilities are limitless.”
Pritzker Signs Bill Designed to Revamp Property Tax Sale System That Fueled ‘Urban Decay’
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas called the legislation “the most significant property tax reform legislation the General Assembly has approved in decades.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson Picks Chicago Police Veteran Larry Snelling to Serve as Top Cop
Larry Snelling, a longtime Chicago Police Department insider with a decades-long career in law enforcement, has been tapped to lead the department as the city’s next top cop.
Chicago Taxpayers Spent $280M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits from 2019 to 2023: Analysis
“We are writing enormous checks and leaving a tremendous opportunity for reform on the table,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said. “It is a staggering amount of money.”
Proposal to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Homes to Fight Homelessness Gets City Hall Spotlight
Supporters of the proposal say the change will help the nearly 66,000 Chicagoans who are unhoused by generating approximately $160 million annually — enough to address the root causes of homelessness by building new permanent housing that offers wraparound services like substance abuse counseling.
Efforts to Move Migrants Out of Police Stations Stalled, Officials Say
Nearly 12,000 people, most of them from Central and South America, have arrived in Chicago in the past 11 months, stretching the city’s safety net beyond its breaking point.
Chicago Watchdog Vows to Ramp Up Enforcement of Ethics Laws, Address ‘Deficit of Legitimacy’
“These are the rules that stand between us and government illegitimacy,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.
Chicago Spent $126.5M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, an Almost 50% Jump Over Last Year: Records
It took less than five months for the Chicago Police Department to exhaust the $100 million earmarked for overtime set by the Chicago City Council as part of the city’s 2023 budget, according to data obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Family of Man Killed by Chicago Police Officer After 2014 Foot Chase Asks Judge to Reopen Lawsuit City Council Refused to Settle
The city and its lawyers will now have to convince a jury that two officers did nothing wrong when they fired 16 shots at Darius Cole-Garrit, 21, at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 19, 2014, after a brief foot chase on the city's Far South Side.
Push to Reopen Public Mental Health Clinics in Chicago, Expand 911 Alternate Response Takes Center Stage at City Hall
A decade-long push to reopen public mental health clinics closed in 2011 and expand efforts to respond to 911 calls for help not with police officers but with social workers and counselors was center stage at City Hall Monday.
