Report: Chicago Felony Prosecutions Skyrocketing After New Cook County State’s Attorney Takes Office
“The more strenuous approach on crime will discourage those—as you’ve noted and documented so well over the years, organized retail crime has become far more violent and confrontational and damaging.”
On December 1st, the reign of error of Kim Foxx’s two terms as the Cook County State’s Attorney ended as the new prosecutor, Eileen O’Neill Burke, was sworn into office.
Burke, a Democrat who previously served as an Illinois First District Appellate Court Justice before retiring to run for the office she now holds, pledged during her campaign to be tougher and smarter on crime than her predecessor, who chose not to seek a third term.
In last month's debate, my closing statement was pretty simple.
If you like the way things are going right now, you have a candidate in this election. It isn't me.
But if you want a fair, professional & effective State's Attorney, then I am your candidate. Watch my full answer: pic.twitter.com/DDAh0dTsyD
— Eileen O’Neill Burke (@EileenCookCnty) March 18, 2024
Barely a month in, O’Neill Burke has wasted no time in staying true to her word, with felony prosecutions for retail theft skyrocketing, according to a report from CWBChicago:
Shoplifters in Chicago are being slapped with felony charges 154% more often under Cook County’s new state’s attorney than they were under Kim Foxx’s administration.
Retired justice Eileen O’Neill Burke took office on December 2 and immediately followed through on her campaign promise to adhere to state law by pursuing felonies against people who shoplift merchandise worth more than $300. Foxx ordered prosecutors to withhold felony charges unless the value exceeded $1,000 or the accused shoplifter had ten or more previous convictions.
ICYMI: Chicago police arrest data shows felony shoplifting charges are being filed 154% more often under Cook County’s new state’s attorney.https://t.co/KGaLPQyl08
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) December 27, 2024
For business leaders in Cook County, O’Neill Burke’s approach has been a welcome change after years of frustration over soft-on-crime policies from Foxx led to repeat offenders wreaking havoc on retail establishments:
“It’s going to help all business,” said Dave Garfield of Garfield’s Beverage Warehouse, which has locations in Old Town, Wicker Park/Bucktown, and several suburbs. “Certain products, we only put so much on the shelf—because we know they’re specifically targeted.”
[…]
Garfield represents the voice of small retailers across Cook County according to Rob Karr, president and chief executive officer of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
“There’s hope,” Karr said. “The more strenuous approach on crime will discourage those—as you’ve noted and documented so well over the years, organized retail crime has become far more violent and confrontational and damaging.”
Though there has been some debate about how – and whether – O’Neill Burke will carry over any of the criminal justice “reforms” from Foxx’s time in office, there’s little debate about the impact of the changes she’s made so far and how that dovetails with what’s happening in other left-wing bastions elsewhere:
“I think the way that the country has been moving, this happened in California in this past election, there is a bit of a swing of the pendulum back to people who are not branding themselves as progressive prosecutors, people who have more small conservative goals for a prosecutor’s office,” [University of Chicago law professor Erica] Zunkel said.
Indeed. As we previously reported, the crime crackdowns have already started in California as well, with law enforcement officers and prosecutors alike taking full advantage of the voter-approved Proposition 36, which was an attempt at reversing parts of the disastrous soft-on-crime Proposition 47 that voters passed in 2014.
In addition to that, Alameda County voters recalled far-left District Attorney Pamela Price, and in Los Angeles County, Soros-backed District Attorney George Gascón was given his walking papers, losing his reelection bid.
Going into 2025, criminals in the Golden State and Chicago – two of the bluest areas in the nation – have been put on notice thanks to voter-backed initiatives and candidates who have made clear that their number one priority is making their communities safer again. This is another stunning defeat for the Defund the Police movement, which hasn’t given up but continues to be rejected at the ballot box in places you wouldn’t expect.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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Comments
Enforcing the law, what a radical thing to do.
Vigorous law enforcement and aggressive prosecutions are radical notions, to the vile, callous and perennially criminal-coddling/enabling Dhimmi-crats and their so-called “prosecutors” (AKA, pro-criminal advocates).
In a world gone mad, using common sense is radical……
A more earthshaking headline might be:
Chicago Finds, Elects Democrat Who Is Not Loony
Can this be true? Stay tuned for our next episode!
This Foxx crap is really a case of voter needing to get off their backsides and vet these jokers.
We have all heard about lower class people demanding respect, beating or murdering other whom they think disrespects them.
With that in mind, I think that we should consider Hong Kong style of public punishment, whippings. While jail time is considered to convey creds, a hamulating public whipping might deter them.
My father was a public high school teacher, the school district was top flight in the 50s, later it was babysitting. Those poor underprivileged teens were not interesting in learning. He kept order in the class by setting up those who were unruly to be laughed at by the class.
I think you mean Singapore and not Hong Kong but the point is valid
Irish Eyes will get you.
The real question is why Foxx quit after two terms. The choices are a) she became radioactive and/or b) she angered the Chicago boss, Toni Preckwinkle. Madame Preckwinkle is a hard-left progressive who runs the Cook County Board and is the chair of the Cook County and Chicago Democrats. Little happens in either place without her approval.
Foxx had hoped to be states attorney until Senator Durkin retired, and then run for that seat. That’s not happening now, and inquiring minds want to know why she tossed up her hands and walked away from the job.
Chicago might actually be on the road to recovery had voters not chosen so poorly with Mayor Johnson. This is just a drop in a very leaky bucket.
The subtext in the Defund the Police movement and the soft-on-crime policies is “stop arresting so many black people”
Not interested in actually reducing crime, just quit making it so obvious that certain urban demographics are responsible for the majority of violence and criminality in the US.
This is necessary in order to not appear to be questioning the toxic urban culture made possible by progressive policies and beliefs.
You all need to keep a watch on Washington State.
KOMO reported they were THIRD for homelessness. Causes- well the usual PLUS all the new homeless illegals.
This is interesting because those homeless illegals are more than likely
“traffic” plus gangs, plus the usual assorted non-working that end up being homeless.
With a hard left Governor, AG, and a leftist legislature, and a bananna republic court system, the state is going to down hill hard.
The voters didn’t repeal the newly minted cap gains tax, nor the carbon tax, nor the long term care tax or anything else. Their gun laws are heading towards full Chicago. It’s also a tranny- boys in girls locker room cesspool. They are not backing off of that one. The schools are about to go into over drive on that on.
Unfortunately they have California to thank for sending all their productive leftist voters to Wa. So they can have all the tyranny, taxes and crime while their housing costs are half and no W2 income tax. If you are a leftist in Ca and want to flee- you are going to Wa and Oregon… but mostly Wa thanks to AMZN and MSFT.
No state in the country is poised for a bigger down hill ride than Wa.