Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to share a few updates from City Council with you.

This week, City Council’s Committee on Public Safety was scheduled to hold a hearing on the City’s ongoing delays in procuring a replacement gunshot detection system and implementing a new police records management system.

I supported this hearing because Chicago residents deserve answers.

Nearly two years after the City ended its previous gunshot detection contract, Chicago still does not have a replacement system in place. Residents were promised that an alternative would be identified and implemented, yet questions remain about the status of the procurement, the timeline for deployment, and what measures are currently being used to identify shooting incidents that may never be reported to 911.

Unfortunately, the hearing was effectively shut down before City officials could even answer our questions.

The need for transparency is especially important because Chicagoans have made their views clear. A recent survey found that nearly 70 percent of Chicago registered voters support restoring gunshot detection technology. This issue is not about politics. It is about public safety.

When a public safety tool is removed, residents have a right to know what comes next. Chicagoans deserve a clear explanation of where the replacement process stands, why it has taken so long, and what the City is doing in the meantime to ensure police and first responders have the resources they need to respond quickly when lives are on the line.

While Wednesday's hearing did not move forward as planned, the questions have not gone away. I will continue working with my colleagues to push for transparency, demand answers, and advocate for a replacement gunshot detection system that helps first responders locate victims and respond to incidents more quickly.

As always, my team and I are here to help. Whether you need assistance navigating a City service, have a concern about our neighborhood, or want to share feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out.

We are located at 4200 W. Lawrence Ave. and are open Mondays from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Fridays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Please contact us at 773.736.5594 or Ward39@CityofChicago.org if you need any city services or have any questions.

Sincerely,

Alderman Samantha Nugent

Construction for the Bryn Mawr Bike Lanes will begin on Monday, June 8. New biking infrastructure will be installed along Bryn Mawr Avenue between the Sauganash Trail and the North Shore Channel Trail. While Bryn Mawr will remain open during construction, intermittent lane closures may cause traffic delays. Please allow extra time for travel and use alternative routes, if possible.