March 26, 2021- 12:56 p.m
Chicago police would essentially be prohibited from executing search warrants before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. under an ordinance that has the support of at least five aldermen.
The thresholds for thefts to be considered a felony in Illinois would increase by a factor of at least 6 — from $300 and $500 to $2000 — under a proposed state law.
Under another proposed law, citizens of the city and Cook County would finally have mechanisms to recall Chicago’s mayor, Chicago aldermen, and the Cook County State’s Attorney.
Hey, one out of three ain’t bad.Friendly RaidsEarlier this month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPD Supt. David Brown announced changes to the police department’s search warrant policies in response to a mistaken raid on Anjanette Young’s home.
Changes include requiring on-site supervision of raids by a lieutenant, requiring a female officer to be at the scene of all search warrant actions, and automatic review of “wrong raids,” according to the city.
CPD now requires a deputy chief or higher to sign off on search warrants, and no-knock warrants are banned except when there’s a danger to life or safety.But some aldermen want even more changes — going so far as to essentially limit the execution of residential search warrants to business hours.
“The execution of all residential search warrants must be conducted between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., absent verifiable exigent circumstances,” the proposed ordinance says.
Police would also be required to take “all available measures to avoid executing the warrant when children…are present.”Cops would also be required to wait “no less than 30 seconds” for someone to flush evidence down the toilet.
Sorry, that’s a typo. Cops would have to wait “no less than 30 seconds” for someone to answer the door at search sites.
The ordinance would also require CPD to publish a long list of details about every residential search, including the address, demographic information of everyone who’s home during the raid, and more.
Also among the 20 itemized requirements of the legislation: officers must wear body cameras during raids; officers “must take all available measures to avoid damage” to property, and cops cannot question children unless it’s necessary to protect people in the home from harm.
$2,000 for a felonyTwo bills in the Illinois House would sharply increase the amount of property or money that someone can steal without facing felony charges.Both laws propose $2,000 as the new cut-off point. One bill focuses on retail theft, increasing the felony threshold from $300.
The other law increases retail theft and most other kinds of theft to $2,000 from current thresholds of $300 and $500 respectively.
The laws would also limit
Also among the 20 itemized requirements of the legislation: officers must wear body cameras during raids; officers “must take all available measures to avoid damage” to property, and cops cannot question children unless it’s necessary to protect people in the home from harm.
$2,000 for a felony
Two bills in the Illinois House would sharply increase the amount of property or money that someone can steal without facing felony charges.
Both laws propose $2,000 as the new cut-off point. One bill focuses on retail theft, increasing the felony threshold from $300.
The other law increases retail theft and most other kinds of theft to $2,000 from current thresholds of $300 and $500 respectively.
The laws would also limit prosecutors’ ability to upgrade theft charges to felonies based on the accused’s criminal background.
After taking office in 2016, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx ordered prosecutors in her office not to pursue felony shoplifting charges against individuals unless the value of the stolen merchandise exceeds $1,000 or the accused has more than ten felony convictions.
An analysis of Chicago police records by CWBChicago in October 2019 found retail theft reports were up 20% across the city since Foxx took office.
Along the posh Rush Street shopping district, reported incidents more than doubled. And on State Street, famed in movie and song for its shopping opportunities, retail theft cases were up 32%.
Theft reports of all kinds declined sharply last year as shopping habits changed during the COVID pandemic, and downtown stores were closed by waves of looting in the spring and summer.
After taking office in 2016, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx ordered prosecutors in her office not to pursue felony shoplifting charges against individuals unless the value of the stolen merchandise exceeds $1,000 or the accused has more than ten felony convictions.
An analysis of Chicago police records by CWBChicago in October 2019 found retail theft reports were up 20% across the city since Foxx took office.
Along the posh Rush Street shopping district, reported incidents more than doubled. And on State Street, famed in movie and song for its shopping opportunities, retail theft cases were up 32%.
Theft reports of all kinds declined sharply last year as shopping habits changed during the COVID pandemic, and downtown stores were closed by waves of looting in the spring and summer.
