Today’s City Council meeting could decide the fate of ShotSpotter. Also, if you’re looking for a show to attend, our weekly live music calendar Via Chicago has you covered below. 

Supporters Will Try Again to Stop Mayor Johnson From Scrapping ShotSpotter

ShotSpotter screen. (WTTW News)

ShotSpotter, a technology that's designed to detect gunfire and trigger a rapid response warning to police without a 911 call, is set to see its contract with the city of Chicago expire on Sept. 22. That might change during today's City Council meeting, where Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) is poised to use a parliamentary maneuver in an effort to save the service. 

If he's successful, he’ll force a vote on an ordinance designed to give Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling the power to bypass the mayor’s office and directly ink a contract with SoundThinking, which operates the system. Moore has led the fight to keep ShotSpotter operational while Snelling has praised it as an important tool, touting its ability to speed police to victims of gun violence in cases where there is no corresponding 911 call. 

Some more context: 

• By the contract’s final day, Chicago taxpayers will have paid more than $53 million since 2018 for ShotSpotter. 

• Mayor Brandon Johnson has repeatedly said ShotSpotter is unreliable and overly susceptible to “human error.” On Monday, he called it a "walkie talkie on a pole," and claimed that it did not live up to promises to reduce gun violence. 

• When Johnson announced he would not extend ShotSpotter’s contract, he announced a two-month transition period to remove more than 2,000 sensors in the city’s West and South sides. 

Budget Director on City's Hiring Freeze and Deficit

Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Sept. 16, 2024. (WTTW News)

Chicago faces a $223 million budget gap this year, and officials issued a hiring freeze. City Budget Director Annette Guzman joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss those strategic decisions. Here’s what she had to say: 

On the city’s hiring freeze:

• “Being very intentional about what hiring can continue through this year, we’ve immediately seen those savings every day because they aren’t being spent on personnel.”

On deficit preventative measures:

• “One of the things that we’ve been doing is really looking at department budgets, really looking at how our contracts are structured, looking at what projects were in place that were approved under former administrations that we have to ask ourselves, are these still important?"

Chicago-Area Transit Agencies Won’t Be Getting More Financial Help Any Time Soon

Metra (WTTW News)

Speaking at a City Club event Tuesday, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said any financial assistance for Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority is likely at least eight months from resolution. Those transit agencies collectively expect to be $730 million short by 2026.  

In August, Welch appointed several House Democrats to a new working group that will meet in private to debate options for overhauling the region’s transit governance and giving the system more money.

• “We have to let the process play out,” Welch said Tuesday. “We have to talk to all of the advocates. This is a big deal.”

Naturally, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie has been critical that no Republicans are part of the public transit working group, and therefore whatever it comes up with won’t have GOP input.

• “It’s telling that Speaker Welch touts the creation of a ‘diverse group of lawmakers’ to address public transit issues but fails to include a single Republican voice,” said McCombie. 

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Also From WTTW News: 

• A new West Garfield Park wellness center aims to improve health and close the life expectancy gap for West Side residents, Eunice Alpasan reports. 

• Patty Wetli has an update on the DuSable Lake Shore Drive lane closures: they’re shifting to a busy stretch between Fullerton Avenue and LaSalle Drive today through Thursday. 

• The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in actor Jussie Smollett’s appeal to overturn his conviction on disorderly conduct charges for falsifying a hate crime.

  
  

September 18, 2004 - Cougar Spotted In South Suburban Lynwood 

Illinois is known for many things but we can’t claim mountain lions, which fun fact (depending on your definition of fun), are the same thing as cougars and pumas. Still, we’ve had some confirmed sightings over the years including a 2008 mountain lion that was shot and killed in Roscoe Village. On this date 20 years ago, reports from south suburban Lynwood kicked off a two-month frenzy of mountain lion sightings. On Sept. 18 two reports of a mountain lion roaming the village hit authorities. The next day, police officers confirmed the spotting. "I started driving through a farm road looking in one direction, and [one of the other officers] spotted it to the east of where I was," said Lynwood police Sgt. Phillip Bukovic told the Sun-Times. "What he spotted was the head, and it looked like the ear of some wild cat." By November, the tan, large feline proved elusive even though Lynwood police used “infrared-light binoculars, tranquilizer darts, a professional tracker, rifles, tracking dogs–even a helicopter.” 

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Via Chicago (Josh Terry’s concert recommendations) 

Burlington, Vermont band Robber Robber (Credit: Connor Turque)

Each Wednesday, Via Chicago presents select shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more. 

Wednesday, Sept. 18:
Royal Otis, Johnny Cheddar (Friko) at Salt Shed. Tickets. 
Local rockers Friko open for buzzy Australian pop duo Royel Otis under a cheesy nom de plume at the indoor venue at Salt Shed.

Thursday, Sept. 19:
Sara Jean Stevens, Riggings at Judson and Moore. Tickets. 
Chicago singer-songwriter Sara Jean Stevens headlines with Durham, NC experimental folk artist Riggings. 

Cassandra Jenkins, Andrew Sa at Sleeping Village. Tickets. 
The critically-acclaimed Brooklyn songwriter brings her lush sophisticated songs to Avondale with queer country crooner and local favorite Andrew Sa.

Friday, Sept. 20 through Sunday, Sept. 22:
Riot Fest at Douglass Park. Tickets. 
Don’t drive to Bridgeview: the three-day punk festival surprise returns to Douglass Park this weekend. Go Saturday for Pavement, Spoon and Waxahatchee.  

Friday, Sept. 20: 
Spoon, A Giant Dog, Ganser at Metro. Sold out. 
The long-running Austin, TX rock band plays a Riot Fest aftershow. I’d say get there “early” for Chicago post-punk outfit Ganser but the show starts at 10:15 p.m. 

Midland, Colin Stough, Hudson Westbrook at Riviera Theatre. Tickets. 
A fun night of country rock and pop at the Uptown live music staple. 

Pile, Oceanator at Subterranean. Sold out. 
Punk and indie rock collide at the Wicker Park venue and it’s somehow not a Riot Fest-related gig. 

Lane Beckstrom, Javier Reyes at Hideout. Tickets. 
Two talented, groove-minded local musicians split the bill at Hideout. 

Saturday, Sept. 21: 
Winifred RT, Lighthearted, and Josephine at Color Club. Tickets. 
An entire bill of excellent songwriters who are all women. Winifred RT and Josephine hail from Chicago while the twin sisters who make up Lighthearted come from Athens, Georgia. 

Sunday, Sept. 22 
Gee Tee, R.M.F.C., Repent at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Garage rock is alive and well in Ukrainian Village Sunday. 

Femdot at Schubas. Tickets. 
The talented Chicago rapper returns to the Lakeview venue. 

Tuesday, Sept. 24:
Robber Robber, Oyeme, Closebye, Elijah Berlow at Sleeping Village. Tickets. 
The best indie rock bill of the week. Burlington punks Robber Robber and New York pop-rock auteurs Closebye highlight.  

Why Bonnie, Joey Nebulous at Hideout. Tickets. 
The headlining Brooklyn folk-rock band has one of the finest albums of the year. 

Other News From Around Town:

• Michael Jordan’s Highland Park mansion has been on the market for 12 years but it finally has a buyer. 

• Block Club Chicago reports that the state tore down a DIY community skate park in Bridgeport without warning.

•  Khmai Cambodian reopens after Starbucks construction left Rogers Park staple covered in debris, writes Eater Chicago. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

What's your favorite Chicago park? Tell us why. 

Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. 

• One year in, we take a look at the impact of the SAFE-T Act with Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. 

5:30 PM | 10:00 PM

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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry