Photo Credit: Lionprotects.com
Remember this year when the Mayor of Chicago announced all of her crime busting plans to keep the city safe and the city would have the “Summer of Joy” instead of just more out of control violence?
Well, the better title for the past three months of the Summer of Joy, might be “Murder-Palooza” or “Chicago’s Taste of Homicide Festival” where shooting victims’ families sample all the local Emergency Room cafeteria food and food trucks at murder scenes.
The Labor Day numbers are in, the highest were reported by ABC 7 Chicago as 55 shot and 11 killed. Hey Jackass.com shows smaller weekend numbers but reports summer numbers as 244 Homicides and 1330 shot from the end of May to the End of Labor Day. Oh, and the year to date? 489 Homicides and 2502 humans shot by other humans. Seems like a lot of violence and suffering, doesn’t it? Gee somebody ought to do something about it.
With four months left to go in the year, Chicago could easily push over 600 murders this year. Another record setting year despite anti-crime and finger pointing efforts by the Mayor, State’s Attorney’s Office and Police. From 2019 to 2021 the Murder Rate was up 33% city wide. Seems like there could be problems.
CPD officers are retiring at record rates, and they can’t get new recruits to apply. The lack of police on the street and lower personal street contacts with the public are a problem as is the new “no-pursuit” of fleeing criminals’ policy…and of course the perennial Chicago favorite more popular than Perillos Hot Dogs, the public policy of “I don’t talk to the police.”
One source, the Chicago City Wire, claims half of all 911 high priority calls don’t get a police response. Let’s look at that again- half of 911 calls which involve threat of harm don’t get an officer response. They are just too busy.
When arrests are made, the Cook County State’s Attorneys Office is the next step in the problem chain. They are notorious for not charging offenders and kicked something like 199 murder cases to the curb last year declining to file charges.
THE SAFE-T ACT
One of the other contributors this year, has been bail reform which has been going on in the city for a couple of years. Liberal policies don’t want to hurt potential voters…uhh alleged offenders to be kept behind bars just because they lack the funds to post bond on lesser offenses. The problem of course, is offenders who did not follow the law the first time around very often re-offend while out on the street while still pending their first trial. No surprise there. It has happened in Colorado too- pushing no bond suspects back out on the streets and the crime rate has gone up. NYC had a low or no bond policy but had to scrap that no-bond initiative because it just did not work.
One source in Illinois states 65 people have been shot or injured this year and 12 died at the hands of criminals who were released back on the street under Chicago “Affordable Bail”.
So next year’s Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act (Safe-T Act) to include the statewide elimination of cash bail, which will start January first, has all the ear markings of a public safety disaster. Reviewing the many provisions in the “Safety Act” strangely, none of the provisions are aimed at reducing crime or actually extending “safety” to anyone except accused criminals. The police have many new restrictions in the name of safety. Liberals rammed it through the legislature and the governor signed it a year ago to look politically correct and garner more votes, put the public at more risk, and yet call it “Safety.” Republican law makers have called it a “defacto defund the police bill.”
Illinois Governor J.B. Prizker said “…it will help dismantle “systemic racism,” improve policing and make Illinois communities safer for everyone.” Some tasty anti-police “reform” in the bill includes restricting use of force in arrests, and limits pursuit of suspects, makes it a felony to not wear a body cam if police agency requires it, allows the state Attorney General to levy quarter million and half million dollars civil fines against police who have a pattern of rights violations. It also makes it illegal for police to shoot someone in the back, pelvis or head with a Taser. It allows anonymous complaints to be made against officers instead of requiring a sworn affidavit. Then it sets out how the police can no longer arrest anyone for Class B Misdemeanors like Trespass or Window Peeping- just give them a citation and they can’t even force the suspect to leave the area. There is also an elaborate plan to set up a system to track and decertify “bad cops.”
The Chicago legislators sponsored law radically changes the criminal justice system, but most importantly, will effectively end cash bail for most accused criminals who can just roam free until trial with little or no impediment. Getting arrested won’t put a crimp in their social schedules beyond booking and release. “See ya back here when your trial date come’s up!”
Has the history of keeping people in jail who could not post bail kept people from committing more crimes? You can find conflicting studies on that point depending upon your viewpoint. But it can’t be argued the worst criminals who are locked up with their peers can’t reoffend while pending their trial.
The history of bail, or lack of it has never been intended to be part of punishment since they are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty- but being held in jail is certainly safer for the rest of society in addition to the criminal guaranteeing they will show up for court or lose their posted bail money if caught re-offending. It should sting if you choose not to play along with the rules, shouldn’t it? Not so much in Illinois.
Republicans have purportedly filed to repeal the Safe-T Act before it takes effect, but chances of overcoming the Democrat block who pushed it through are slim.
You won’t believe the crimes under the 2023 “Safe-T Act” which will become non-detainable:
Second Degree Murder
Drug-induced Homicide
Arson
Aggravated Battery
Kidnapping
Burglary
Robbery
Intimidation
Aggravated DUI
Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding
Drug Offenses
Threatening a Public Official
Some Illinois State’s Attorneys are going public recently to decry the pending SAFE-T Act’s bail free changes, to include the fact on New Year’s Day when the law kicks in, hundreds or thousands of criminals currently in jail pending trial will be released back into the streets.
As an example of the people who would be set free, the Lake County Gazette published a two-page newspaper photo spread this week of 32 people currently held in Lake County jail who can’t pay their very high dollar pre-trial release bonds (from $350,000 to $3,000,000) who will be turned loose on New Year’s Day.
The list of charges they are held on are staggering. Looks like resume materials for the outlaws hired to ravage Rockridge in “Blazing Saddles.”
Here are charges for the first 8 persons listed on the page: Traffic accident/death and sex offender. Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault (victim under 13) Aggravated Criminal Sex abuse (victim over age 5), Aggravated Sexual Abuse (victim 13-15 year of age). Agg Crim Sex Abuse (victim over 12), Agg Crim Sex abuse-with a weapon, Controlled Substance. Predatory Crim Sex Assault (victim over 13), Agg Crim Sex Abuse (victim over 13). Domestic Battery (repeat offender), Domestic Battery (repeat offender), Agg Domestic Battery, Agg Battery/Great Bodily Harm, Domestic Battery (repeat offender). Agg Unlawful Use of a Weapon-loaded firearm and vehicle, Felon in possession of firearm (repeat offender), Agg Unlawful Use of a Weapon against a person (repeat offender). Methamphetamine possession, Theft/Stolen, Driving on Suspended License. Agg Discharge of Firearm-occupied vehicle, Agg Unlawful Use of a Weapon-vehicle and under 21 yrs old, Agg Unlawful Use of a Weapon-no concealed carry or FOID and Reckless Discharge of a Firearm/Endangering Others.
These seem like dangerous people who don’t follow the law…you know criminal types who are alleged to have committed acts so serious the criminal justice system set high bail prices on them to keep them away from the rest of society- unless they can provide 10% bond guarantee they won’t commit additional acts, won’t flee the jurisdiction, and agree to show up in court when required. The roots of bail go back to England as far back as the 1200’s and in America to 1789- but J.B. Pritzger and the liberal state legislative crew believe we need to change all of that due to current vote getting conditions and made it the new “gooder” kind of law “we” need. Coming soon to a Purge-like state near you. Harumph!
