Chicago first entered into a contract with ShotSpotter in 2017. The controversial technology relies on microphones and sensors to identify the sound of gunfire and alert law enforcement.
Stories by heather cherone
Johnson Inks Extension With ShotSpotter Until September, Hours Before Contract Expires
Feb 16, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Johnson Promises to Spend All of Chicago’s Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds, With Focus on ‘Disinvested’ Communities
Feb 16, 2024 | Heather Cherone
“I’m going to spend all that money, I can assure you of that,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
City Council Votes 18-32 to Reaffirm Decision to Reject Push to Upend CPD Discipline System
Feb 15, 2024 | Heather Cherone
After a spirited debate, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) — once the leading progressive voice on the Chicago City Council — was the only alderperson to change their position since the December vote.
State, County Leaders Agree to Spend Additional $250M to Care for Migrants — But $70M Gap Remains
Feb 15, 2024 | Heather Cherone
That cost is on top of the $150 million already set aside in Chicago’s 2024 budget, the $100 million earmarked in Cook County’s budget to care for the migrants, and $160 million in state funds Pritzker agreed to spend to care for the migrants in mid-November, officials said.
South Shore Voters to Weigh Need for Protection From Gentrification Sparked by Obama Presidential Center
Feb 14, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward will be asked whether Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th Ward) and Mayor Brandon Johnson should “support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson Cancels ShotSpotter Contract, Fulfilling Major Campaign Promise
Feb 13, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Chicago will stop using the ShotSpotter technology by Sept. 22 — one month after the Democratic National Convention takes place in Chicago and after the summer months that are often the most violent period of the year, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced.
Just 29% of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds Meant to Transform Chicago Have Been Spent: Data
Feb 12, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Chicago spent less than $160 million on a host of programs including affordable housing, mental health, violence prevention, youth job programs and help for unhoused Chicagoans through Dec. 31, 2023, according to reports to the federal government.
Pay $3.25M to Family of Woman Struck, Pinned by Police Car, City Lawyers Recommend
Feb 9, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The proposed settlement is set to be considered Wednesday by the City Council’s Finance Committee. If approved, a final vote of the City Council could come as soon as Thursday.
City Council Set to Weigh Push to Require CPD to Study How Officers Are Deployed, Despite Political Peril
Feb 5, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The Chicago Police Department would be required to immediately launch a new study of whether officers are efficiently and effectively deployed across the city, under a measure set to be considered by a key City Council committee.
Fate of Officer Who Fatally Shot Adam Toledo in Limbo as Judge Halts Police Board Hearings Amid Dispute
Feb 1, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The Police Board is blocked from holding any hearings until Feb. 24, with the next hearing in the lawsuit brought by the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 7, set for Feb. 26, according to the Cook County judge's order.
Mayor Brandon Johnson Breaks 23-23 City Council Tie to Call for Cease-Fire in Israel-Hamas War Amid Intense Debate
Jan 31, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Chicago is now the largest American city to adopt a cease-fire resolution, joining Minneapolis, San Francisco, Oakland, Atlanta and Detroit.
Fate of Officer Who Fatally Shot Adam Toledo Depends on Whether Chicago City Council Rejects Push to Upend Police Discipline System
Jan 30, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Whether the officer who shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo is publicly held accountable for the teen’s death depends on whether the Chicago City Council votes this week to reaffirm their rejection of an effort to upend the system used for 60 years to punish officers.
Chicago Won’t Evict Migrants Until At Least Mid-March, Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces
Jan 29, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Mayor Brandon Johnson did not lift the requirement that migrants leave city-run shelters in 60 days — instead, the nearly 14,200 men, women and children in city shelters will have longer to find more permanent housing.
First Installment of 2023 Cook County Property Tax Bills Arrives On Time
Jan 29, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Property tax bills for Cook County residents are available online at cookcountytreasurer.com and should hit mailboxes this week.
Johnson Defends Handling of Migrant Crisis Amid Continuing Tensions With Pritzker
Jan 24, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Mayor Brandon Johnson said state officials have not worked fast enough to help migrants move out of Chicago’s shelters into permanent homes, or fulfill promises to open 2,000 new shelter beds.
Johnson Calls for Cease-Fire in Israel-Hamas War as Vote on Controversial Resolution Delayed
Jan 24, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, is now the mayor of the biggest American city to call for a cease-fire, putting him at odds with President Joe Biden and most members of the Democratic Party.
Effort to Stop Cop-Union Backed Push to Upend CPD Discipline System Stalls
Jan 24, 2024 | Heather Cherone
A vote on the measure could come as soon as Jan. 31, triggering what is likely to be a fierce legal fight that will determine whether, and how, city officials can hold officers accountable for serious misconduct.
Battle Begins to Ban Natural Gas in New Chicago Homes and Businesses to Fight Climate Change
Jan 23, 2024 | Heather Cherone
While similar measures are already in place in New York City, Los Angeles and dozens of smaller cities, it is unclear whether the push for Chicago to join those cities will succeed, even with the backing of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Effort to Crack Down on New Dollar Stores in Chicago Advances
Jan 22, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The full Chicago City Council is set to vote Wednesday on the proposal crafted by Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th Ward), who has been fighting the proliferation of dollar stores for nearly a decade.
Chicago Taxpayers Set to Pay $5M to Family of 64-Year-Old Man Who Died After Paramedics Failed to Treat Him
Jan 22, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Two Chicago Fire Department paramedics found the former Marine “face down on the floor” but failed to provide emergency medical care or take him to a nearby hospital, according to the lawsuit filed by his family.
Repeated Police Misconduct by 141 Officers Cost Chicago Taxpayers $142.8M Over 4 Years
Jan 22, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Cases that involved at least one officer with repeated claims of misconduct accounted for 60% of the cost borne by taxpayers to resolve police misconduct cases between 2019 and 2022, according to the analysis by WTTW News.
Chicago Won’t Evict Migrants Until Feb. 1, Officials Announce
Jan 18, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Mayor Brandon Johnson will not evict migrants from city shelters until at least Feb. 1, suspending the 60-day limit he imposed for the second time in less than a week, a city spokesperson said.
Watchdog: Treasurer Conyears-Ervin Fired Employees After They Warned She Was Violating Ethics Ordinance by Using City Resources to Host Prayer Service
Jan 16, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The Chicago Board of Ethics ratified the inspector general’s findings on Nov. 13, and Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin now has an opportunity to contest the results of the probe at a future meeting of the board. Each violation of the law could trigger a fine of $20,000.
City Promoted Employees Who Were Reprimanded for Citing School That Fed Protesters Trapped Downtown During George Floyd Protests: Watchdog
Jan 16, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The two employees, a manager and a supervisor, “incompetently performed the duties of their positions” on May 30, 2020, when they cited the leaders of the Chicago Freedom School, according to a report released Friday by the city’s watchdog.
Chicago Suspends 60-Day Limit on Shelter Stays for Migrants; Pritzker Appeals to Texas Gov.’s ‘Humanity’ to Stop the Buses Amid Extreme Weather
Jan 12, 2024 | Heather Cherone
“The next few days are a threat to the families and children you are sending here” because of the bitterly cold weather, Gov. J.B. Pritzker told Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Push to Create Permanent Chicago Police Oversight Board Begins
Jan 8, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Applications are now open to serve four-year terms on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which is designed to give Chicagoans real control of the police department as part of an effort to build trust in officers and police brass and put an end to repeated allegations of misconduct.