CPD And Lawyers’ Group Disagree On Bond Reform, Violence
By Daniel Tucker
CPD And Lawyers’ Group Disagree On Bond Reform, Violence
By Daniel TuckerLast weekend was the bloodiest so far this year in Chicago with at least 52 people shot and 10 killed.
Chicago Police brass were incensed about those numbers and were quick to criticize 2017 bond reforms in Cook County, which have led to more people being released between arrest and trial.
“When we arrest these gun offenders, half of them — and I want you to think about this for a moment — half of them get out and are back on the street in a week or less,” CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Monday.
A police spokesman said that by Monday afternoon 11 of the 19 suspects arrested on gun charges over the weekend had already been released from custody, and that six had prior gun offenses.
Meanwhile, consider a report released last month by Cook County’s chief judge Timothy Evans. It shows that while the percentage of people being released on bond has increased since the 2017 reforms, the percentage of those people committing a second offense are actually down slightly.
In an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune last month, Evans argued that the reforms are not putting the public at risk.
Morning Shift explores what the numbers tell us about bond reforms and what law enforcement and bond reform advocates are saying after last weekend’s spike in gun violence.
GUESTS: Sharlyn Grace, executive director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund
Cara Smith, Chief Policy Officer for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office
LEARN MORE: Most Violent Weekend In Chicago This Year; At Least 52 Shot, 8 Killed (Chicago Tribune 6/3/19)
Officials Address ‘Vicious Cycle’ Of I-Bond Violations After Violent Weekend (CBS Chicago 6/3/19)