If there was any part of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed 2013
city budget that aldermen might question, it was the number of police on
the street. Murders are up this year citywide and several aldermen say Chicago needs more cops. There are about 1,000 fewer police officers in the CPD today than five years ago.
But Police Superintendent Garry
McCarthy was only partly scathed at a council budget committee
hearing today, suggesting aldermen will not revise Emanuel’s budget in
order to hire more police.
Council members did question how Emanuel and McCarthy arrived at the figure of having 12,500 officers by the end of 2013.
Ald.
Scott Waguespack (32nd) asked the police head if there was a “written
formal analysis” on staffing. McCarthy responded there was not. Read more »
The Chicago City Council will likely 
Chanting “TIf money’s our money,” and carrying signs that read
“Corporate Welfare is breaking Chicago’s back,” more than 100 protesters
marched through downtown Chicago yesterday to protest the allocation of
$29.5 million in tax increment financing (TIF) for a corporate tower in
the West Loop. 
Earlier today, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance pushed by Mayor Rahm
Emanuel to let the Chicago Police Department issue $250 to $500 tickets to people caught with 15 grams or less of pot, instead of arresting them. The ordinance passed by a 44-3 vote.
Most aldermen who spoke on the council floor gave the same talking
points: Black residents are a disproportionate target of marijuana arrests, the
Cook County court dismisses most pot arrests, and ticketing will save
police resources.