Absolute insanity
Monday, Jul 6, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You gotta be kidding me…
[Cook County] Police recently issued “IR” No. 2 million to a 38-year-old Indiana man arrested in the south suburbs on charges of possession of $10 worth of marijuana and a minor traffic violation.
IR numbers — the “IR” stands for “individual record” — are like Social Security numbers for criminals. They are assigned to criminal suspects the first time they are arrested in Cook County. The same number sticks with a person for every subsequent arrest in Cook County.
At the current pace, with police issuing about 5,000 new IR numbers a month, Cook County would reach IR No. 3 million in about 16 years.
That’s a far faster pace than it took to get to 2 million, even considering that the system of tracking has changed over the years. At one point, the Chicago Police Department assigned a new identification number for every arrest. But in 1962, department officials decided that a single number should track a person’s entire criminal history.
Has it occurred to anyone in charge that arresting people who are carrying a dime bag of weed is probably doing more harm than good?
Since this guy got a new IR number, I’m assuming this was a first offense, and not some notorious gang member whom the cops are keeping close tabs on. If so, how the heck does it do anyone any good to throw this man in the slammer? I am no Tony Peraica fan, but two of his recent Twitter posts are right on the money…
Read this for a perfect example as why or County Jail and Juvenile Detention are packed to the rafters. http://bit.ly/xknZp
Police arrest, SA prosecutes, arestees for $10 worth of marijuana as we spend $100/day to keep them locked up. A ticket and a fine better?
* And while the county coppers are busting some poor schmuck in the south ‘burbs for possessing a tiny amount of marijuana, we have mayhem on the city streets…
Four people were killed and at least 22 others, including an 8-year-old boy, were wounded in shootings and stabbings during a bloody six hours late Saturday into early Sunday.
On the other hand…
Homicides in Chicago have dropped 12.7 percent, and crime overall has fallen 10.4 percent in the first six months of this year, according to preliminary statistics released Friday by Chicago Police.
When compared with the same period last year, crime has dropped or did not increase in 24 of the 25 Chicago Police districts, with fewer incidents of violent and property crimes in every category.
There were 199 homicides in the first six months of the year in the city, compared with 229 from January through June of last year.
But…
Of course, considering last year’s homicide rate was the highest in five years, the (slightly) lower numbers are more a return to normal than a real decrease and the police department just recently lost another of its officers in the line of duty. Which couldn’t have helped already low morale in the CPD. Oh, and police arrested a guy with a loaded shotgun at the Taste last night. So…yeah.
* Related…
* Juvenile detention staffers face crackdown : Tensions have simmered to a full boil as Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center bosses crack down on employee abuse of sick time and family leave — and investigate employee abuse of the 10- to 16-year-old inmates.
* FBI investigates staffing at juvenile center
* After last year’s violence city welcomes peaceful fireworks: This year’s Taste of Chicago July 3 fireworks spectacular transpired relatively peacefully, viewed by 1.25 million people and unmarred by the shootings that took place last year.
* Could Gitmo transplants end up in Illinois prisons? : While other cities across the U.S. have balked at taking in any of the more than 200 detainees from the infamous lockup in Cuba that President Barack Obama hopes to shutter, Marion is part of a small contingent seeking out the prisoners — and the money and jobs they might bring.
- MS - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 6:57 am:
Here’s the reason why, Rich. STATS! Police departments live on stats and numbers. They don’t care how you get em, just make arrests and write tickets. How do you think cops get promoted. The more you do, the better you look. Your boss wants pot arrests? you give him pot arrests. Your boss wants seatbelt tickets? You give him seatbelts. They want DUI’s? give them DUI’s. Then he can show his boss, who can show his boss, and they can all tell each other what a great job they’re doing compared to last month etc… Cops are not allowed to “patrol” anymore. Your told what to do and where to do it and how many to give em.
- Leroy - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 7:01 am:
You want stats? I’ll give you stats….ChicagoBrakingNews.com is reporting the following:
Weekend tally: 10 slayings, 63 shootings
I’m sure there is a ‘on the other hand’ somewhere in there.
- Reality is - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 8:02 am:
They arrested him because he broke the law. I think its a good idea. It’s a good example for me to point out to my kids.
- Franklin - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 8:34 am:
I don’t disagree to the fact the the Cook County Police force might need stats up on dope arrests. Maybe that is the motive here. However, this man most likely purchased his dope from some sort of “Dealer”. The #1 reason for most deaths and shootings in Chicago are “dope” related. It all trickles down to the folks in the neighborhoods where the people go to get their stash from.
- Freezeup - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 8:47 am:
Okay- I often try to add some perspective from the police officers point view and usually end up regretting it but here goes: On many occaisions the cops encounter marijuana in small amounts on the street and no arrest is made. The officer uses his discression and for whatever reason it gets pitched- maybe because the offender is honest about it, would be a first offender or whatever. Should that happen? I don’t know- that is another topic of discussion. Now in this case, there is a mention of a traffic offense. I would like to know what that offense is, but I would bet it is a class A misdemeanor like driving while suspended, revoked, or DUI. (Cook county doesn’t always specify those.) One of two things likely happened- the offender was going to have to be fingerprinted and booked in on the suspended/revoked license anyway and for whatever reason the officer decided he should arrest him for the marijuana too. OR, and this is what I think is a very likely scenario, the “traffic offense” was DUI Drugs in which case the marijuana itself would be part of the probable cause for the DUI charge. I’ll close with this- What a good officer will arrest offenders for will vary with what area he works in- an officer that works a low crime suburb may take a harder stance toward any criminal offense vs. an officer working a high crime neighborhood. The officer in the high crime neighborhood may look at a “Possession Of Less Than 2.5 Grams Cannabis” arrest with a $75 bond as a grain of sand on the beach…
- scum times - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 8:49 am:
Hey Rich are you going to throw the sun times under the bus for bad eporting IR#s are generated for all arrests state wide not just Crook Co. This is just pathetic reporting. Facts really arent that important when it comes to the news anymore.
- Quinn T, Sential - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 8:59 am:
{The #1 reason for most deaths and shootings in Chicago are “dope” related. It all trickles down to the folks in the neighborhoods where the people go to get their stash from.}
You’re almost there.
Actually it all trickles down to the folks who show up in the neighborhood to get their stash. Without buyers, there are no sellers, and there is no marketplace territory to have to protect to the death.
To expound on what Freezeup had to say above; another possible scenario is that the offender was arrested at; or near the point of purchase (Pilsen), often times far from home (Winnetka), and the arresting officer was trying to dissuade repeat drug trafficking purchasers away from his beat.
- Freezeup - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 9:02 am:
Wanted to add a couple things- I think it is a common misconception that cops arrest everybody they see comitting an offense during their shift. It usually doesn’t work that way, good cops sort offenders and try to arrest for the most serious offense they can find being committed in “the pond they are fishing in” that day. Do cops and administrators keep track of stats? You bet, for some of the reasons mentioned above. My only heartburn with that is when you push cops for stats you get officers doing things and making arrests that they wouldn’t normally do/make. That is where we must be very, very careful. Stats can lie too- homicide stats in Chicago have been rumored to be manipulated and crime stats are often based on reported crimes: and if the public does not have confidence in the police department, some times they will not report crimes, (”The cops won’t do anything anyway”), and the stats on reported crimes go down. If the community has confidence in the police doing a good job, they report almost EVERY crime and the stats go up. Which department would you rather have in your town?
- dave - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 9:13 am:
They arrested him because he broke the law. I think its a good idea.
Then perhaps we should change the law?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 9:14 am:
quinn T
If you really believe someone from Winnetka has to go to pilsen to get weed you are out of touch. Weed can be found in winnetka without a drive into the big bad city. Im sure no one from pilsen is buying their weed in pilsen, blame the outsiders not the residents of crime raveged hoods. Its always someone elses fault society did it to them. Maybe just maybe its their own fault and they get what they deserve.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 9:38 am:
Shocking! The cops arrested someone for breaking the law? They should know better than the General Assembly what is good and bad conduct. Bad cops.
- dave - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 9:50 am:
They should know better than the General Assembly what is good and bad conduct.
Not quite sure what this means. Do you think that the Cops should make the laws rather than the General Assembly?
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 9:50 am:
After listening with equal parts amusement and embarrassment to Fox News yammerers, Cheney, plus tough guy Senators and Reps. say there was no safe place to house Gitmo detainees in the continental U.S., it’s with Illinois pride I tip my hat to the folks in Marion and Thomson for injecting some common sense and guts into the conversation.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 10:04 am:
My point exactly, you are picking up what I am putting down. Cops don’t make the laws. Yet they take the brunt of the foolishness that comes out of Springfield for doing their job of enforcing the law.
- Quinn T. Sential - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 10:26 am:
@ Anonymous - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 9:14 am:
Pardon me for over-simplifying and painting with such a broad brush previously. Actually; many of the New Trier kids have taken up the “organic” mantra that their post hippie parents have laid down on repeated shopping excursions to “Whole Foods”, and have taken up growing their own.
The trips to the big bad city are reserved once they have graduated to heroin and meth.
- mac - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 10:37 am:
Unless the full story of this arrest is available,any comment about the incident is conjecture.Like FOX or CNN,or PBS evaluations on “breaking”issues.
- Just Observing - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 10:43 am:
Marijuana should be legalized. Many elected officials agree but are too big of cowards to say so. The irony is that most of the electorate supports dicriminilization or legalization, so the elected officials do not need to be such cowards.
- Amy - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 11:27 am:
Freezeup, very wise posts!
- Levois - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 11:29 am:
This is almost turning into a libertarian discussion. Should we let slide $10 worth a marihuana as opposed to perhaps 10 times that amount. Good question a ticket would be appropriate and sending them to jail or prison or even probation on the first offense would be overkill.
- prairiestatedem - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 12:20 pm:
Good points Freezup….i think its also important to remember a minor dope bust as cited in the issuance of the IR certainly will not effect Cook County Jail population because that individual will simply get an I Bond (personal recognizance) from the arresting agency and never see the jail. If you want to talk about felony drug charges and thier impact on jail population look at some of the things Sheriff Dart is doing to address this problem. I think he takes an innovative approach on some of the things I have seen from his office.
- Freezeup - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 12:34 pm:
Amy- thanks, I am a daily Capitolfax reader I hope sometimes I can help with the discussion.
Prairiestate- I agree about Sheriff Dart and I think Cook County requires some different solutions than “downstate” due to unique challenges and situations. Also, the arrest in the post was likely a $75 bond if it was less than 2.5 grams. The traffic bond was likely higher than the marijuana and not many people get locked up on traffic charges in Cook.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 1:14 pm:
The weekend tally of 10 murders and 63 woundings in Chicago is nearly as insane as the fact that noone is reporting it. How can this story be buried in the back of local papers? I don’t understand journalists anymore. That is a slaughter.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 1:23 pm:
PJW, I started as a cop reporter in the mid 80s. It was the same then. I had an editor tell me early on that they weren’t interested in reporting on every aspect of “urban renewal.” Yeah, you bet it was racist.
There has to be a hook: a kid, a prom date, a basketball player, etc., some sob story. White victims always get play. Just citizens getting gunned down, or chaos in “some” city streets, doesn’t cut it and hasn’t for a very long time.
It’s a disgrace and should always be remembered when you the noble press gets on their soapbox about truth and justice.
- fed up - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 1:25 pm:
Amen wordslinger.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 1:38 pm:
Word, I know you are right. The NIU massacre killed 6 and wounded 24. That was international news. Chicago matches that bloody total every summer weekend and it barely makes local news.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 1:50 pm:
…but at least none were killed at the 3rd fireworks show.
- fed up - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 2:37 pm:
why do these totals occur every weekend? Even a massacre stops being news when it happens every week. We keep hearing from the news crime is down from last year, but last year I remember crime was up pretty sharply. Are we back to the “norm” or is crime higher than before 2008.
- Squideshi - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 3:25 pm:
I recently posted on Illinoize information about the so-called Communications Management Unit in Marion, which has been called a political prison.
- Emily Booth - Monday, Jul 6, 09 @ 6:58 pm:
Uh, the fireworks were not peaceful if you read secondcitycop.blogspot.com or gapersblock.com. The Taste has been taken over by gangbangers for the 2nd year in a row. Just look at youtube and twitter.
- Patrick McDonough - Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 12:03 am:
Rich, please have faith. Never under estimate Chicagoans! We can beat last years murder statistics if we put our minds to it!
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jul 7, 09 @ 8:21 am:
If you think Pot is no big deal, then you will believe that the pothead is the victim, if you believe Pot is not as innocent as proponents believe, then you would like to see the pothead be treated fairly - arresting him isn’t fair.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:21 am:
Meanwhile, over 30,000 die every year in auto accidents. Do we have our priorities straight? How about putting up those relatively inexpensive highway wires between all traffic?
Why not criminalize people for actual abuse of drugs (like DUI, but include CUI-crimes under the influence) rather than routine use of substances that are less addictive than alcohol or nicotine? Employers are free to use testing to fire at will.