Chicago Police Arrest Continue Decline

An end of year audit released by the City of Chicago revealed what many criminal defense attorneys, like myself, have noticed from their observation of the traffic at local criminal courthouses.  The number of physical arrests by Chicago Police officers has been declining and continues to decline.  In 2006, Chicago police made 227,576 arrests.  In 2008 the number of arrests dropped to 196,621.  Last year, 2009, that number dropped to 181,254.  While there is no obvious explanation for these declining numbers, it should be pointed out that budget constraints have left the Chicago Police Department woefully understaffed.  Some estimates place the police department with a shortage of at least 2,000 officers below the numbers they should have.  There has been a slow down in hiring and the City of Chicago and the Police department have been struggling to make up these shortages in this difficult economic environment.  We have previously reported about the drop in the reported crime rate and the declining population in the Cook County Jail.

We will keep an eye out on these numbers and the related causes.

For more information about the Chicago criminal attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.

Naperville Stops Red Light Turn Tickets At Camera Sites

In another blow to supporters of red light cameras the City of Naperville has decided to stop issuing tickets for right turns at intersections controlled by red light cameras.  City Councilmen said they are not convinced that there is not enough of a safety issue to justify the continuing issuance of such tickets.  Naperville operates red light cameras at three intersections, Route 59 and North Aurora Road, Route 59 and Diehl Road, and Ogden and Aurora Avenue.  During yesterday's hearing, village officials tried to make the case that such tickets improved public safety but City Councilmen said that statistics failed to prove that such tickets significantly improved public safety.  At the end of the hearing, City Councilmen voted 6 to 3 to stop using cameras for right-on-red camera citations.  However, it appears as if citations will continue to be issued at the intersection of Route 59 and North Aurora Road.

The City of Naperville is expected to lose approximately $600,000 in annual revenue.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us at 1-800-228-7295 anytime.

New Gun Law Mandates Mandatory Prison Time

In a move that seems to be flying a little under the radar, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill into law yesterday that makes a Class 4 Unlawful Use of Weapon conviction not probationable.  Starting January 1, 2011, anyone convicted of carrying a loaded gun without a state firearm owner's identification card will be required to be sentenced to 1 year in prison.  Previously, someone convicted of this crime was eligible for probation.  This new law will make it much more difficult to negotiate plea agreements with prosecutors on UUW cases because the possibility of probation is now off the table.  This law was passed during an election year in which politicians are trying to portray an image of "being tough on crime" by trying to feed off of the recent spike in gun violence in Chicago.  Yesterday's bill signing occurred during an event to honor the memory of Chicago police officer Thomas Whortham who was recently shot and killed outside of his parents home.  During the bill signing, Governor Quinn pointed out that his Republican opponent for Governor, Sen. Bill Brady, had voted against the bill.   

The new law will go into effect on January 1, 2011.

For more information about the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at Legal Defenders, P.C., visit us at www.thelegaldefenders.com or call us anytime at 1-800-228-7295.