News and Events

Gun law ‘does nothing to prevent mass shootings, crime’
March 9, 2023
McHenry County approves resolution denouncing new state gun ban
February 22, 2023
New gun law just another reason for people, businesses to leave Illinois
February 18, 2023
AMENDMENT 1 COULD LET ILLINOIS POLICE UNIONS UNDO SAFE-T ACT MANDATES
November 23, 2022
Winnebago CO. Sheriff Gary Caruana on IL’s SAFE-T act
October 5 ,2022
WCSO Cash Bail Discussion
October 5 ,2022
Sheriffs quitting after police “reform” bill passes, effectively tying the hands of cops and protecting criminals
October 5 ,2022
A sheriff in Union County, Illinois has become at least the fourth sheriff in the state to turn in his badge after the state implemented something called the “Safe-T Act,” an anti-police group of measures dressed up with in the guise of “police reform.”
Pritzker considering SAFE-T Act changes
October 3 ,2022
Gov. JB Pritzker is considering changes to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform to clarify provisions related to the end of cash bail in Illinois, while his Republican challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey, continues to push for a full repeal.
EFFECT OF ILLINOIS’ SAFE-T ACT?
October 3, 2022
Come Jan. 1, pretrial cash bond will be abolished as part of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, a move that has triggered outcries, varying interpretations and lawsuits.
81% of Black Americans Don’t Want Less Police Presence Despite Protests—Some Want More Cops: Poll
Amajority of Black Americans have said they want police presence in their area to either remain the same or increase, despite recent protests over police brutality, according to new polls. A Gallup poll conducted from June 23 to July 6 surveying more than 36,000 U.S....
Few Americans want to abolish police, Gallup Survey finds
Lack of charges in fatal West Side shootout leads Mayor Lightfoot to criticize prosecutor Kim Foxx: ‘We can’t live in a world where there is no accountability’
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot criticized Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on Monday after her office declined to bring charges against suspects in a fatal West Side shootout where gunmen fired into a home late last week. Her comments prompted a pointed response...
Minneapolis’ bloody summer puts city on pace for most violent year in a generation
Etta Riley has learned to listen for a hiss when she hears pops erupt outside her Minneapolis townhouse. The hiss brings relief. It means that bottle rockets are being fired in her neighborhood, not guns. Riley, a 57-year-old school bus driver, remembers waiting for...
David Axelrod urges Chicago Mayor Lightfoot to declare ‘public safety emergency’
CHICAGO - As Illinois’ senior U.S. senator revealed how dangerously close he came to a drive-by shooting in Chicago, former White House advisor David Axelrod urged Mayor Lori Lightfoot to declare a "public safety emergency." Noting the FBI’s recent report that in...
‘Death investigation’ underway after veteran trooper fatally shot on Dan Ryan, officials say
A “hardworking” and “loving” Illinois State Police trooper died after a shooting Friday afternoon on the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway on the city’s South Side,state police said. He was identified as District Chicago Trooper Gerald Mason, 36, who had been with state...
FBI Statistics Show a 30% Increase in Murder in 2020. More Evidence That Defunding Police Wasn’t a Good Idea.
The surge in violent crime over the past year—murders in particular—has been astounding and historic. The numbers back this up and paint a grim picture. Property crime is generally down, but violent crime is way, way up. The murder rate rose by nearly 30% in 2020,...
COVID-era criminals go free: Prosecutors dismiss cases as backlog mounts
Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios The pandemic slowed the criminal justice system to a crawl in much of the U.S., and now an increase in violent crime is straining the system even further. Why it matters: COVID-19 has caused backlogs in criminal cases across the U.S....
Bipartisan Police-Overhaul Talks End With No Deal
Lawmakers had sought to address abuses by law-enforcement after protests over killings of Black Americans Since the murder of George Floyd during an arrest by Minneapolis Police, departments around the country are implementing active-bystander training to address the...
17-year-old carjacking crash victim asks for help from the public
“It’s all for my mom because she’s in the worst pain now, and we didn’t deserve this happening to us...” ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - “It was - It was just traumatizing,” said 17-year-old carjacking crash victim Mikayla Knautz. Just before 10 p.m. on Sep. 20, 17-year- old...