West Cook News

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison took to Facebook to list his grievances against how officials are dealing with crime in Cook County.

"It is time for leaders in Cook County to start listening to the growing calls to prioritize public safety in our communities, implement effective policies, and get serious about prosecuting criminals," Morrison posted on Facebook. "Policies prohibiting police pursuits, the recent bail reform initiative, and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s refusal to prosecute criminals have all contributed to an unprecedented rise in crime."

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx dismissed all charges against 30% of felony defendants during her first 3 years in office, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Morrison also  referred to McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski, who said crime is "seeping into every corner of our city" at a September event at the Economic Club of Chicago, CNN reported. “Everywhere I go, I’m confronted by the same question these days — what’s going on in Chicago? While it may wound our civic pride to hear it, there is a general sense out there that our city is in crisis.” He said he was struggling to convince corporate workers to come into the company's headquarters. “It’s more difficult today for me to convince a promising McDonald’s executive to relocate to Chicago from one of our other offices than it was just a few years ago,” he said. “It’s more difficult for me to recruit a new employee to McDonald’s, to join us in Chicago than it was in the past.” He also pointed to Boeing, Caterpillar, and Citadel, which all announced this year that they are relocating their headquarters out of the area.

According to a meme circulating on the Internet, as of Jan. 1, the following offenses will be considered "non-detainable:" arson, burglary, aggravated battery, aggravated DUI, aggravated fleeing, drug-induced homicide, intimidation, kidnapping, robbery, threatening a public official, and 2nd degree murder. The meme says people who are charged with those crimes will be released without bail.

Gov. Pritzker took to Facebook to call these memes "misinformation."

"Misinformation spreads like wildfire, and there are ugly lies making the rounds about the SAFE-T Act," Pritzker posted. "This law does not mandate the release of defendants or create 'non-detainable offenses.' Defendants are eligible for pre-trial release based on their risk, not their bank accounts.

SafeWise's annual 2022 State of Safety survey found that only 42% of Illinois residents report feeling safe, while 64% reported feeling "high daily concern" for their safety. 13% of respondents reported experiencing gun violence firsthand, an increase from 8% the previous year. Mass shooting incidents in Illinois increased by 25% from 2020 to 2021.

There have been 545 murders, 1,642 criminal sexual assaults, 6,794 robberies, 4,771 aggravated batteries, 14,133 motor vehicle thefts, and 2,313 shooting incidents reported in the city of Chicago so far this year as of Oct. 16, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Illinois is the first state in the country moving to eliminate cash bail as part of the SAFE-T Act, Fox News reported.