Editor’s Note

Welcome to Newswire — your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what action we can take to make our city great, featuring public meeting coverage by City Bureau’s Documenters.

Quote of the Week

“If we do not issue this permit, Sims will continue to operate under the permit that they had from before. That's what has been happening for the last four years.”

—Dr. Olusimbo Ige, Chicago’s public health commissioner, explaining why renewing Sims Metal Management’s large recycling facility permit will improve oversight. Sims first filed for renewal in January 2019.

SimsCity

Sims Metal Management — long overshadowed by the General Iron controversy — is getting its time in the spotlight as city officials are poised to renew its permit to operate a large recycling facility in Pilsen. 

Following calls for greater transparency and community input, the Chicago Department of Public Health hosted a second meeting on the Sims permit last Friday. City officials presented data from the past few years that show Sims’ average particulate matter emissions are below the threshold of concern.

A couple public commenters expressed support for jobs created by scrap metal yards, but they were outnumbered by those who pointed to a 2021 state lawsuit over Sims’ failure to adequately reduce emissions and a federal directive issued earlier this year that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency must overhaul its permitting process.

Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige explained that the previous permit technically expired four years ago but has remained in effect in the absence of a new one, and that CDPH can’t reject the renewal unless it proves Sims is violating environmental protections. Ige emphasized that once CDPH renews the permit, it will be able to enforce stricter requirements, such as air monitoring and community input, that have been introduced elsewhere in recent years.

Community activists are now calling on CDPH to publish a draft permit agreement for public review before it signs off on the renewal.

Since General Iron’s plan to move from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side was announced six years ago, Southeast Side activists and hunger strikers succeeded in blocking its permit and pushing for more rigorous review of environmental impacts. 

CDPH is now required to host community meetings on complex demolitions and other developments that may pose a health hazard. But with a track record that includes the Far South Side’s “toxic doughnut” and the 2020 smokestack implosion in Little Village, it has a long way to go to earn the trust of environmental justice communities.
CDPH recently hosted a discussion about the demolition of the Chicago Tribune’s newspaper printing facility in River West; and a hearing on the Peoples Gas plan to demolish historic warehouses in Little Village was scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Rails to trails

With a 606-style bike path planned for unused railroad tracks in Englewood, the city is mapping out park, farming and commercial spaces along the trail. Check out the land use plan and submit feedback through July 31. 

At its meeting last week, the Chicago Plan Commission also heard updates on the first phase of redevelopment of the Lathrop Homes site in Lincoln Park and a vision for the stretch of Harlem Avenue running through Dunning and Montclare that celebrates local Italian American heritage and makes it a pedestrian-friendly destination and community hub.

The commission also signed off on plans for a cannabis grower and dispensary in Portage Park, a Chicago Transit Authority training and control center in West Garfield Park, a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru on the Near South Side and a Pullman warehouse. 

Discussion of a North Lawndale logistics facility was deferred for the second time, and plans related to Lincoln Yards and Bally’s casino later met delays.

Study: One key to reducing police misconduct

There is a strong correlation between Chicago police officers’ mental wellbeing and the likelihood they will violate policy, according to findings from the University of Chicago Crime Lab. The study attempted to predict the behavior of police officers based on five years of information, including complaints, use of force reports and arrest reports. 

The researchers then used that information for this five-year period to predict the behavior of those officers for the next five years. What they found: Officers in the top 2% for highest predicted risk were six times more likely to engage in serious misconduct than average. 

The study also reiterated that current CPD policy surrounding misconduct and mental health is reactive rather than proactive — police who harm community members go through a disciplinary process, rather than CPD putting wellness and policy initiatives in place to avoid that misconduct in the first place. 

The Crime Lab also pointed to comparative evidence from the Los Angeles Police Department, where compliance with the consent decree focused on officer wellness. The research showed that when police officers were given more proactive mental health services, it reduced police officer misconduct, as well as decreased the murder rate in LA communities.

Members of the 8th Police District Council encouraged the community to sign a petition urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to keep ShotSpotter in Chicago.  Council members plan to continue to circulate the petition, which currently has over 900 signatures, via an email blast. 

Chicago will cease use of ShotSpotter in November after Johnson ended the city’s contract with the controversial gun detection technology company in February, fulfilling a campaign promise. 

Meanwhile, just last month, 34 City Council members voted to overturn Johnson’s decision. Still, as of right now, the city will move forward with severing ties with the company.

A version of this story was first published in the June 27, 2024 issue of the Newswire, an email newsletter that is your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what we can do to make our city great. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter here.

Have thoughts on what you'd like to see in this feature? Email Editorial Director Ariel Cheung at ariel@citybureau.org.