Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said the city would hire more police officers next year, but a police department spokeswoman seemed to contradict the statement later. more ›

Police Superintendent Jody Weis's contract expires on March 1 and, at this point, one wonders why he is on record as saying he'd take a pay cut to stay on the job. We already know what the rank and file think of Weis. It doesn't help to have the mayoral hopefuls, all vying for the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, saying that Weis needs to be replaced. more ›

A 19-year-old parolee wearing an electronic ankle monitoring device was arrested in connections with last week's shooting deaths of Chicago policeman Michael Flisk and CHA officer Stephen Peters. Timothy Herring, Jr. was released on parole in April after a 2007 conviction for armed robbery. Herring was also sent to jail in July after testing positive for marijuana. more ›

A 19-year-old gang banger is being questioned as a "person of interest" in the murders last week of Chicago police officer Michael Flisk and CHA policeman Stephen Peters. more ›

Yesterday, Rahm Emanuel waded into the subject of police reallocation by saying he'd rather hire an extra 250 police using tax increment financing funds. Emanuel suggested the new cops could work in the citywide Targeted Response Unit, but would work within high-crime areas that fall within TIF districts. more ›

Although Police Department Superintendent Jody Weis hasn't put together a plan yet to reallocate cops from lower crime districts to higher crime areas, a study by the Sun-Times shows that, if the plan was based on 911 calls and "radio assignments pending call events," police districts on the North Side would lose cops to higher crime districts on the South and West Sides. more ›

To those who've received a parking ticket recently it may now seem as though the city is writing more, but that's exactly what's happening. more ›

Former alderman Dorothy Tillman was arrested over the weekend in Alabama. She was charged with criminal tresspassing after refusing to leave an Montgomery hospital, according to the police. Tillman says the cops used excessive force and that she was brutalized. more ›

Chicagoans got used to seeing heath Ledger around town last summer when he was here filming The Dark Knight. The New York Police Department is now reporting that Ledger was found dead in "a downtown Manhattan residence" this afternoon. more ›

Is the City finally going to reach some kind of resolution with four victims of police torture victims? It look like it. Aaron Patterson, Leroy Orange, Stanley Howard and Madison Hobley, all tortured by Chicago Police commander Jon Burge and his Area 2 lackeys, will divide a $20 million settlement in their suit against the city. Says 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, Failure to settle these cases when there was no argument anymore that there... more ›

Wonder where "celebrities" shop in Chicago? Expensive places. Ask Ellie gives some tough-love advice on how to get over a work crush. "This is getting beyond a crush to an unhealthy obsession." Burn, lady! How about something a little nicer? Sheesh. If you've been working on writing an episode of CSI or Bones (which...is secretly great), have we got a mystery-solving method for you: A Canadian scientist uses isotope analysis on teeth and bones... more ›

Kind of a CPD-heavy day today. University of Chicago Law School professor Craig Futterman released a new study today titled "The Use of Statistical Evidence to Address Police Supervisory and Disciplinary Practices: The Chicago Police Department's Broken System." (Download the .pdf here.) The report is only 40 pages long, and it's un-fucking-believable. In it, Futterman and his co-authors H. Melissa Mather and Melanie Miles outline a blistering analysis of the CPD's "fundamental and systemic" problems, a "culture of not knowing" and a "machinery of denial" when it comes to charges of police abuse. We'll pull out some highlights here, but the entire report is really, really worth reading: more ›

Since splitting from the Ghetto Gourmet, Efrain Cuevas has fashioned a cottage industry for himself. Between "Cook the Vote", a "singles only" underground supper club, private catering and cooking classes, and his own "Ghetto Gourmet"-style undergorund dining club 24 Below, Cuevas has become increasingly busy on the local dining scene. A dinner Cuevas planned two weeks ago brought about some backlash. Cuevas planned a birria dinner involving a goat he would personally slaughter and butcher.... more ›

Mercy, CTA. Uncle. Whatever you want. We give up. You're eliminating every bus we ever take, charging us more for every packed, smelly ride, and now, you're stealing our identities, too. CTA customer service rep Miranda Smith was arrested last week and charged with official misconduct, one count of aggravated identity theft, and three counts of identity theft. (Aggravated identity theft means the victim is over 60 or disabled, or that the crime occurred "in... more ›

Blago and Mrs. Blago raked in $267,490 last year — $19,000 less than the year before. Still, that's about six times the median household income for Illinois. Todd Stroger told the Trib he'd "make the hard decisions," when it comes to his insane budget. Hard decisions like trying to raise the sales tax in Chicago to 11 percent. Speaking of people who want more of your money, ComEd wants to raise prices, too. And... more ›

The Sun-Times is reporting that the Chicago Police Department is disbanding the scandal-plagued SOS unit. And all it took was a few hundred allegations of abuse, a conspiracy to commit murder and widespread abuse and perjury. The ST is saying an official announcement will come down this afternoon; for now, they have some anonymous sources. “Change us, disband us, do something,” said the supervisor, who refused to be quoted by name. “It’s getting harder and... more ›

Aurora's Planned Parenthood can open immediately. How bad do things have to get before Daley will denounce what's going on with the Chicago Police Department's Special Operations Section? Even the Associated Press is saying, "Not since club-swinging cops in baby-blue helmets chased demonstrators through clouds of pepper gas at the 1968 Democratic National Convention have Chicago police been so awash in trouble." Dayum. And yet Da Mare has given no indication that he'll disband... more ›

Protest over national vs. regional chains, the never-ending debate over the place of cars and bicycles in our metropolises, professional sports scandals, remembering a solemn day, and being issued a search warrant - it all happened across our sites this week! Another banner week at Chicagoist started off with daily reports from food writer Lisa Shames on her attempt to eat only locally grown and raised foodstuffs all week as part of a farmers market... more ›

"'Cause it's Friday, you ain't got no job ... and you ain't got shit to do." Well, you can go check out the New Orleans Social Club at Millennium Park. If you aren't, here's some stuff in the news. Buckingham Fountain is slated to undergo a complete overhaul in autumn 2008. Near West Side businesses get $1.5 million in TIF money intended for keeping manufacturing jobs in the area. Does Manny Flores have the... more ›

The anger North Lawndale residents are feeling over the killing of 18-year-old Aaron Harrison by police is not going away. At least not as long as activists help them keep the heat on the Chicago Police Department. Nearly 50 protesters disrupted last night's Police board meeting at police headquarters at 35th and Michigan, leading the board and interim police superintendent Dana Starks to adjourn the meeting after 15 minutes, saying that the protesters "harassed" them.... more ›

Here are some other news items of note while we're at Millennium Park enjoying Muhal Richard Abrams and Reginald Robinson: The U.S. attorney's office has joined an ongoing Cook County probe into the rogue actions of an elite squad of the Chicago Police Department . Blue Line passengers can expect (more) delays starting this weekend. The sculptor who created Berwyn's spindle claims that the shopping plaza where it sits is "prostituting" the sculpture under... more ›

From a public relations standpoint this has not been a banner couple weeks for the Chicago Police Department. First, the Reverend Al Sharpton opens a Chicago office for his National Action Network in order to address the issue of police brutality in Chicago. Days after Sharpton opened his office, 42-year-old Gefery Johnson died from injuries sustained after police Tasered and forcibly arrested him. Days after that, 18-year-old Aaron Harrison was shot to death by police... more ›

With the news reports of the Taser death of Gefery Johnson not even a few days old, this was the last thing the Chicago Police Department needed. Police shot and killed a recent Manley High School graduate last night in the North Lawndale neighborhood and wound up having to quell a near riot as residents took to the streets in protest. Witnesses to the shooting said that 18-year-old Aaron Harrison was just hanging out with... more ›

When we are alone on the train or on the street late at night, especially if we are (maybe just a little) impaired in any way, we are pretty cautious. We turn off our music and just generally try to be aware of our surroundings without being afraid of them. That being said, we've found in recent years that the very best defense against would-be attackers is a ponytail directly on top of the head.... more ›

That Mayor Daley. What a guy! When he isn't busy saving us from being the next Detroit, he's addressing the media with frustration and consternation. After a 48 - 0 vote in the council yesterday, Daley's plan to divorce the Office of Professional Standards from the Police Department was approved. As part of his new plan to "restore public confidence", Da Mare will be bringing Los Angeles attorney Ilana B.R. Rosenzweig in to be the... more ›

We aren't naive. We know the police protect and serve, that it's a largely thankless task, and recognize their achievements when we can. Overall, though, this hasn't been a good year for the Chicago Police Department, public relations-wise. So if there were a list of the bad seeds in existence, wouldn't you want to know the names? Wouldn't you know who's out there perverting their oath to protect and serve? Judge Joan Lefkow thinks so.... more ›

In the latest episode of the ongoing Tank Johnson saga, the Bears' defensive tackle finally went before a Lake County judge on the gun-related charges that stemmed from the December raid on his Gurnee home and subsequent arrest. Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm without an owner's identification and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. However, the presiding judge will allow Johnson to serve the sentence concurrently with the four-month... more ›

Mister C, you win! Your guess of May 1 for the end of Frank Kruesi's career in our Frank Kruesi Dead Pool has won you a lovely Chicagoist T-shirt. Email Rachelle@chicago.com to claim your prize. For the rest of you — well, you can rejoice as well because the glory days of CTA President Frank Kruesi are over. Mayor Daley announced at this morning's press conference that Kruesi is retiring. Ron Huberman, the Mayor’s chief... more ›

Welcome back to This Week in Stupid. TWIS went on a brief hiatus, but we'll be back every Friday to wrap up the week's most ridiculous stories of critters, crime and confusion. Forgive our brevity today, we're just getting back into the swing of things. This week is a hodgepodge of hair, shoes and ... honesty? While the corruption in the Chicago Police Department seems to broaden with each passing day, cops in Wisconsin seem... more ›

Late last month the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to disband the Stroger Hospital Police Department, in response to allegations of abuse and unnecessary roughness. You may remember back in September when three Stroger Hospital police officers were accused of pulling a 77-year-old man from his car and beating him in front of the medical center. And last month Sun-Times reporter Steve Patterson was "roughed up and manhandled" by that same police force as... more ›