Shots Fired at Undercover Police Sting Across From Elementary School

Carpentersville police are facing backlash after an undercover drug deal was arranged to take place directly across the street from Lakewood Elementary School. The school may have not even known about the deal and subsequent arrest if shots had not been fired. Now parents and community members are enraged that the police would plan such an event so close to an occupied school. read more

Illinois Debtors Thrown In Jail

Lisa Madigan Working To Stop Debt Collector Arrest Warrants

Some Illinois residents struggling to pay off their debt have yet another thing to worry about: getting thrown in jail.

As WBEZ reports, creditors in the state have figured out ways around laws that prevent them from putting debtors in jail, and the number of people being issued arrest warrants linked to unpaid bills is growing. Collection agencies can reportedly file a lawsuit requiring a court appearance, and if the defendant doesn’t show up for their hearing, an arrest warrant can be issued.

The practice has been happening more often in a stagnant economy, and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan wants to do something about it.

Lake County Prosecutor Retiring Under Pressure

“The taxpayers don’t pay us for intellectual curiosity. They pay us to get convictions.” While these words may have been thought by many prosecutors in the past, none have been bold enough to say them until now. This is just one of the controversial comments a Lake County prosecutor is under fire for—comments that have led to him announcing his retirement in January. read more

In Chicago, Pot Possession Largely Decriminalized

A recent Gallup poll showed more than half of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, more than ever before. And with state and local budgets being stretched thin, some communities are seeing a tendency for law enforcement to let pot possession slide without official criminal charges. According to the Sun-Times, this trend has led to a virtual decriminalization of pot within the city of Chicago. read more

Chicago Cop Shoots 3 In 2011, Under Investigation

Officer Gildardo Sierra has been with the Chicago Police Department for nine years ago. But this year has no doubt been the most turbulent. So far in 2011, Sierra has shot three people in the line of duty, two of those shootings resulting in death. Now, Sierra is under investigation and many are wondering why he wasn’t taken off the streets sooner. read more

Cook County Electronic Monitoring on the Rise

In an effort to reduce jail populations and help offenders remain within the community, Cook County officials are expanding the use of electronic monitoring devices. While 2010 saw only 100 defendants in the county with the monitors, this year so far, there have been 865, a serious increase. read more

Chicago Cameras Shown to Reduce Crime

In the first study of its kind, the Urban Institute found that police surveillance cameras in Chicago have had a noticeable impact on crime in the areas in which they are placed. The same couldn’t be said for Washington DC, however, and the report links the difference to the enforcement related to the cameras. read more

Chicago Releases Unprecedented Crime Database to Public

This week the city of Chicago released an online database that allows anyone to search for any criminal offense that occurred over the last 10 years. No other database like this exists in the country, as Chicago attempts to crawl out from under their reputation as being secretive and corrupt at even the highest levels of city government. read more

Illinois Cops Start Website to ID Suspects

Several local police departments have signed up to use the new website idthisperson.com in an effort to locate people they would like to speak with. Created by two police officers, the site offers a good incentive for people to speak up, paying a $25 gift card to the leads that actually pan out. read more

Woman Found Not Guilty of Felony for Recording Cops

Tiwanda Moore filed a report with the Chicago police department that she had been sexually harassed by an officer. When to police internal affairs officers came to investigate her claims, she felt they were trying to scare her into changing her report and dropping the allegations—so she recorded them. She was then charged with a felony for the recording and faced up to 15 years in prison. read more