Category: News

Despite rampant violent crime in the city of Chicago, Mayor Johnson is taking a bizarre approach to ending the city’s contract with the potentially life-saving tool “ShotSpotter” – but not until AFTER the Democratic National Committee Convention is held this summer.

What They Are Saying:

Chicago Sun Times: Fran Spielman, Tom Schuba – “If Johnson was so determined to honor his campaign promise to get rid of the controversial gunshot detection system, why did he wait until the last minute to timidly announce the decision and fail to prepare the Chicago Police Department for life after ShotSpotter?”

The Hill: Tahman Bradley, Marisa Rodriguez, and Eli Ong – “’Where do you draw the line? ….Are we going to take away every tool that has made this job and our communities safer?’” – Alderman Walter Burnett.

Chicago Tribune: Jake Sheridan – “Company and city officials had mostly refused to answer questions as the gunshot detection system’s short-term future hung in doubt throughout the week. The nonanswers became even more prominent during the mayor’s fiery news conference Thursday, in which reporters grew frustrated as Johnson dodged questions about whether or not a deal had been reached. Johnson would not answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when repeatedly asked if Chicago and ShotSpotter had a contract, but said he had ‘been clear’ that the technology would operate through September.”…. “To no avail, reporters clamored in vain Thursday for one-word answers on whether ShotSpotter would operate this [past] weekend. But the mayor offered a crystal-clear response on whether it would be replaced in Chicago by another gunshot detection tool. ‘No,’ he said before the reporter finished asking the question.”

Chicago Tribune: Jake Sheridan – “If ShotSpotter’s use suddenly ends in the near future, it would mean a ‘tremendous deal’ for the city, [Alderman Chris] Taliaferro said Wednesday. Police leaders would have to scramble to find interim measures to speed up gunshot responses, he said.”

CBS News: Aldermen react to Chicago’s cancellation of contract with ShotSpotter [VIDEO] – “Keeping ShotSpotter is the right thing to do,” said Alderman David Moore. “When you put politics in front of public safety, we have to draw the line,” said Alderman Anthony Beale.

Fox32: Chicago aldermen criticize mayor’s decision to end ShotSpotter [VIDEO] – “‘Black and brown communities hear gunshots all the time. Some are immune to it. ShotSpotter saves lives. Why? Because police will still respond to those calls,’ said Alderman Anthony Beale. Chicago’s former top cop Garry McCarthy said, ‘I think it’s a bad decision.’” “[Mayor Johnson is] wrong…he needs to change his decision and listen to the community,” said Alderwoman Silvana Tabares. “It’s very disrespectful,” said another person.

NBC5 Chicago: Nate Rogers – “…Alderman Raymond Lopez heralded ShotSpotter as ‘life-saving technology,’ saying that its quick alert times had helped save the lives of shooting victims.”

CBS News: Sabrina Franza – “Chicago Police leaders and several aldermen have said ShotSpotter has been a key tool for investigating gun crimes.”

Chicago Sun Times: Fran Spielman, Tom Schuba – “After the Sun-Times reported on the decision earlier in the day, Johnson’s office issued a statement saying the city “will decommission the use of ShotSpotter technology on September 22,” meaning cops will have access to the system throughout the historically violent summer months and the Democratic National Convention.”

ABC7 Chicago: Liz Nagy – “’We are in the process of taking away many of the tools that allow for violence to be reduced in our neighborhoods,’ said Alderman Chris Taliaferro.”

Fox News: Stepheny Price – “Alderwoman Silvana Tabares blasted those advocating for eliminating ShotSpotter and accused them of greed. ‘The only people against ShotSpotter are the community organizers who want to use the money that saves Black and brown lives into their own pockets,’ she told the media on Tuesday.”

Townhall: Guy Benson – “If ShotSpotter is so useless, people are asking why Johnson won’t axe it before all the party bigwigs come to town this summer?”

National Review: Jeffrey Blehar – Brandon Johnson Is Now the Most Tragically Stupid Big-City Mayor in America

Breitbart: Warner Todd Huston – “Alderman Anthony Beale called the move ‘another horrible decision’ by the Johnson administration. Beale worried that communities covered by ShotSpotter would be less safe because many of the residents refuse to call the police when gunfire erupts. ShotSpotter is the primary tool that helps police locate and investigate shootings.”

New American: R. Cort Kirkwood – “The city police chief, Larry Snelling, does not agree. And neither do 13 of the city’s 50 aldermen. Led by the 29th ward’s Chris Taliaferro, they wrote to Snelling to say the technology is ‘critical to locating victims, giving first responders the opportunity to render swifter aid and locate evidence.’”

CHICAGO — In light of new headlines showing that not only would Mayor Brandon Johnson plan on cancelling Chicago’s contract with ShotSpotter (conveniently AFTER Democrats converge on the city for the Democratic National Convention this summer), it was revealed that the Mayor made the announcement without a signed deal on the table. ShotSpotter has since rejected the Mayor’s offer, leading to the potential for the service that geolocates gunshots by acoustics to be turned off as of midnight on Friday. 

Chicago Democrats have been driving soft on crime policies that are making the city less safe, a theme Sean Morrison expounded on in the Chicago Tribune this week. 

Take a look at excerpts from Sean’s piece below and find the full article HERE.

Chicago Tribune: Sean Morrison: We can help put an end to Illinois Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies at the polls
“Here is a better idea. Let’s enforce our laws. Let’s punish people who commit crimes, and let’s make sure we give our police officers the tools they need to keep our neighborhoods safe. We don’t need barricades. We need better leadership.

Cook County is run completely by Democrats. It is their bad leadership and their bad policies that are making our communities less safe.

Their soft-on-crime policies are destroying our communities, and the people most hurt by their bad leadership are the very people they supposedly are trying to help.

If stores shut down because of theft, what happens to the residents who rely on those stores, especially on the South Side?

Who is looking out for Chicagoans? Certainly not Cook County Democrats. They are more worried about the rights of criminals than the innocent victims of crime that their policies have enabled.”

CHICAGO — Today, top Madigan aide Tim Mapes was sentenced to prison time after being found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice by lying to prosecutors to protect Mike Madigan during corruption inquiries.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement following the sentencing:

“In my now 3 year tenure as Chair of the Illinois Republican Party, we’ve finally seen Illinois Democrats face retribution for decades of corrupt practices. This is a fitting sentence for lying to federal prosecutors to protect your boss, one of the most powerful people in this state, and all Illinoisans look forward to Mike Madigan finally facing his day in court to be held accountable for the culture of corruption he built in his decades in power.”

CHICAGO — The Illinois Republican Party hosted its 1st annual Bank Your Vote Gala on Friday bringing together 750 Illinois Republicans and raising more than $450,000 to increase Illinois Republican voter turnout for the 2024 elections.

The Bank Your Vote initiative encourages reliable Republican voters to vote early when the polls first open in person or by mail and Friday’s Gala was the first state specific celebration of the initiative championed by one of the event’s lead speakers, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel.

“This event shows just how energized Illinois Republicans are to get our state and our country back on the right track this November,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “Our cities are facing a migrant crisis because of the open borders policy of Biden, Pritzker and sanctuary city mayors. Our state is losing residents and businesses because of excessive taxation, anti-business governance, and Democrat failures to prosecute and imprison repeat criminals. Righting this ship and making Illinois a place where working families can once again prosper starts with electing more Illinois Republicans at all levels of government.”

“We brought more than 750 Republicans together in one of the largest gatherings of the Illinois Republican Party in recent memory,” said event chair and DuPage County Board Member Kari Galassi. “Hundreds of attendees have never donated to the state party and even more had never attended a Republican party event before. Republicans are energized, growing, and ready to turn Illinois around in 2024.”

Kari Galassi served as chair and former DuPage County Board member, Greg Hart, served as co-chair of the Bank Your Vote Gala. The gala was the first of its kind nationally as part of the Republican National Committee’s Bank Your Vote initiative.

CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle met yesterday to supposedly discuss solutions for the migrant crisis enveloping Chicago, and yet one of the biggest elephants in the room has yet to be touched: 

Two weeks ago, Pritzker said “The city has not told the state where they would like us to put our resources to build new shelters or help them build new shelters, so we can’t help if we can’t identify those locations.” Despite the ludicrous assertion that he can’t do anything until the city does, Pritzker continues to claim that progress is being made between the city, state, and county on plans to handle the migrant crisis, utilizing photo ops like yesterday’s meeting at city hall as a substitute for substance. 

And yet… from reporting on yesterday’s meeting: “Not discussed: Where the city wants the state to locate a new shelter that could house as many as 2,000 asylum seekers. The state has said it’s ready to prop up a facility but needs direction from the city. Johnson has said the state can figure that out on its own.”

It has been 18 months since this crisis began and no tangible solutions have been found to address this crisis. It’s past time to start asking Governor Pritzker why the state of Illinois remains flatfooted in dealing with the crisis. 

CHICAGO — Yesterday, the Chicago Tribune published an opinion piece from Senate Republican Leader John Curran telling Illinoisans the truth JB Pritzker refuses to admit: that he invited and subsequently mismanaged the migrant crisis that has taken over Chicago and is growing across the state.

Check out the full article HERE and take a look at some experts below:
“Some crises are unexpected. Others, such as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s migrant crisis, are invited.

Shortly after taking office, Pritzker proudly proclaimed, “Let there be no doubt that Illinois is a welcoming state.” He sent his invitation around the globe, announcing, “As the governor of Illinois, I proudly consent to the continuation of refugee admission to our state.”

In the years since, he has systematically incentivized noncitizens to come to Illinois through his policies and promotion.

…Beyond his executive orders, the governor has signed a range of new laws, including legislation that prevents state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, to help cement Illinois as the destination state for noncitizens.

…This isn’t an argument about the value of immigration and the role it has played in building the United States of America. It’s a question of reality, of management and of what our already overtaxed residents can afford. The people of Illinois cannot afford the misplaced priorities, radical policies and grandiose promises of a governor seeking attention on the national stage.

There is also no question as to who is going to be picking up his tab.

Illinoisans with developmental disabilities who can’t access critical services are paying for it. Low-income families who rely on programs that help pay for food, shelter and utilities are paying for it. Small businesses that are still struggling from pandemic-related loss are paying for it. Neglected veterans in need of lifesaving mental health services are paying for it.

There should be no mistake – the Illinois migrant crisis is no accident. Pritzker implemented and advertised radical policies to attract noncitizens to Illinois, and now that his generous invitation has been accepted, he is deflecting blame for his mismanagement.”

CHICAGO — With news of Chicago City Council passing a resolution calling for ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict led by Mayor Johnson and radical Illinois Democrats, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following response: 

“Democrats in Chicago and across the state would rather engage in posturing theatrics than take action to protect our citizens. Today’s vote is not only a slap in the face to the hostages held at the hands of terrorists abroad, but sends a clear message that the City Council and Chicago Democrats would rather do anything except their jobs. Much like Nero, while Chicagoans are dying due lax criminal prosecution backed by Brandon Johnson and JB Pritzker. Migrants are overrunning Chicago due to inconsistent, dysfunctional responses from the city and state. Chicago Public Schools are failing and about to become less safe if Johnson succeeds in removing police officers from schools. Democrats would rather waste time virtue signaling about a conflict half a world away than do the hard work of governing for the common good.”

CHICAGO — Playbook this morning outlined Mayor Johnson’s new plan to deal with the migrant crisis in Chicago – make it someone else’s problem.

As Mayor Johnson plans to foist responsibility for housing migrants onto religious institutions and private organizations, the same responsibility he publicly committed during his campaign and after winning, he has decided to blame Republicans in the House of Representatives for the lack of action on controlling the border crisis. 

You read that right. Despite Democrats controlling the White House and by extension the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Senate, the Illinois Statehouse, both houses of the Illinois legislature AND the Chicago City Council, the inability to deal with migrants at the border is the fault of Republicans. This level of delusion rivals even that of Governor Pritzker, who seems to have forgotten on his early 2028 Presidential campaign tour that the sanctuary city policies he and Mayor Johnson have continued to support are the reason buses continue to arrive.

ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement:
“Democrats like JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson can’t admit to the facts: their sanctuary policies have failed, their party leaders in Washington have failed, and they have failed. Pointing the finger and shifting responsibility is not leadership, and the inability of Democrats to gain control of this crisis despite full control of this state’s government is a sign that they are delusional, incompetent, and ineffective leaders. 

CHICAGO — Yesterday evening, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that two south side Catholic schools would be closing their doors after a combined 196 years of education due to JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats taking educational opportunity away from under-resourced children. 

The removal of the Invest in Kids policy, a tax credit scholarship program giving low-income children the opportunity to choose the school that works best for them, is already having disastrous impacts. When the bill was not even voted on by the legislature, it became clear that thousands of students, families, and schools would be impacted. 

From the Daily Herald’s coverage of the legislature’s inaction on the bill: “It puts our school and our families in a challenging situation, and worst of all, puts our students at risk of losing the opportunity to attend their best-fit school.”

Choices have consequences, and JB Pritzker’s inaction on scholarships for under-resourced children is having a predictable impact: Illinois schools are closing.

ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement: 
“This is another case of Illinois Democrats choosing the special interest of their teacher union donors over the public interest.”