Today’s number: 3
Tuesday, May 8, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rae has been on a tear about this issue lately…
* Related…
* Jacked: Report says only 3 juveniles were repeat carjackers when released last year, but Illinois poised to pass law keeping more youth in lock-up: The statewide discussion on catch-and-release took its early shape during a crime spike last November when over a dozen cars got jacked in under a week and police struggled to make arrests. When two black teenagers led police on a chase following an alleged carjacking in Oak Park, police told the press they suspected the two of being behind the whole rash of armed vehicle thefts. But the spate continued well after the two were in custody.
* Rahm’s anti-carjacking bill is unfair, being falsely sold and won’t work: The offense targeted by House Bill 4729 and proposed amendments is not carjacking – or assault, robbery, or any related violent offense. The bill, far more broadly and dangerously, would make it easier to convict someone of felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle by allowing a court to “infer that a person knows or recklessly disregards” a car is stolen if he or she happens to be in a vehicle “without the consent of the owner.” … Like nine out of ten shootings, nine out of ten carjackings did not end in an arrest by the Chicago Police Department by the end of the year. This is not the fault of state sentencing laws. Giving more felony convictions and prison years to a very broad group of people because police can’t identify the small number who are committing violent crime isn’t a public safety strategy. It is wanton state interference with employment, housing, education, child support and the host of other factors that contribute to stable families and communities.
* Chicago has fewer beat cops despite police hiring surge, records show: More than a year into the Chicago Police Department’s biggest hiring surge in decades, 14 of the city’s 22 police districts now have fewer beat cops than they did when the push was announced, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
* Carjacked — by a boy who reminded me of my son: It’s aggravating to see the hyperbolic rhetoric about crime ravaging our city and all the tough-on-crime speeches that haven’t worked. I do appreciate police Superintendent Eddie Johnson bringing in federal agents on this matter and Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushing new legislation aimed at combating carjackings. Yet I struggle and consider this boy. Would I really want him to get a punishment that would cut him off from any opportunity or future?
* Editorial: Young offenders with de facto life terms deserve a chance at parole: Juvenile justice reformers and scientific experts have pointed out that young people are less culpable for their actions because their brains are not fully developed. It’s easy for them to make terrible decisions, as McKinley did, especially because of peer pressure or in the heat of the moment. Our laws already recognize that young people don’t make decisions as well as adults: That’s why we have age requirements for voting, drinking, driving, smoking, getting married and joining the military.
- Almost the Weekend - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:19 pm:
This is a fascinating issue from a policy perspective. Car jackings are not like shootings in isolated areas of the city. Valuable cars are all over the city. You can’t leave cops in one area and hope to stop or reduce car jackings.
I have no idea what the answer is but going after teenagers doesn’t seem to be the answer. Increase fines and penalties for shops that take these vehicles, I’d also be working closely with Indiana on this issue. But then you also have to consider these cars are used for other crimes than dropped once they get hot. This is a minefield.
- Whatever - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:31 pm:
I have no idea what the answer is, either, but if you’re only making an arrest in 7% of all carjackings, you wouldn’t be surprised if all 30 released teens went back to carjacking and you only caught 3 of them. (And I know that my numbers are too simple because they don’t take into account multiple carjackings by the same person, I’m just saying Hodge’s numbers don’t prove anything.)
- Dan Johnson - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:33 pm:
An interesting development over the last decade or so: the neuroscientists have discovered that the teenage mind is really undeveloped particularly for making logical decisions with long-term consequences.
That’s another good reason why we treat young offenders differently. They just don’t get it yet.
By the way, good reminder to civic Illinois: that last link reminds people that
We don’t have parole anymore.
Shawshank Redemption style, middle fo your 50 year sentence, go before a parole board and if it makes sense, release a prisoner early — we don’t do that anymore.
We abolished it in the late 70s (and then really abolished it 95 with another Tough On Crime wave.
Why is DOC so overcrowded? Partially because we don’t task our Prisoner Review Board with getting those prisoners who should no longer be incarcerated out of DOC. (They only do it for a few hundred prisoners who were convicted before the late 70s bill got passed).
We ought to bring back parole.
- SSL - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
I get that people don’t want to destroy young lives, but too often they make the perpetrators seem like the victims. If you use a weapon to steal a car, you should suffer the consequences, and not a slap on the wrist. Do you want one of your family members subjected to this dangerous behavior. These aren’t fun loving kids out pranking someone, these are dangerous gun toting criminals, often desperate and incapable of making a decision.
Lock them up, attempt to rehabilitate and move forward. A land without laws and personal accountability is doomed.
- Gooner - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:37 pm:
The report of only three deserves further review. It is possible. However, releasing carjackers does seem like policy. The most visible incident was in the 300 block of East Ohio, where the offender was released nearly immediately and was arrested again for a new incident of car jacking within 48 hours.
The idea that it is not a problem does not seem credible.
- anon - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:44 pm:
Whatever seems right. If only 10% of carjackings resulted in an arrest, then even if all 30 released teens returned to carjacking, only 3 would have been caught and rearrested. Also, I’d like to see how many were arrested for a different crime.
- BC - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:46 pm:
Fully read this Sun-Times story on the topic, which is where I think Hodge got her numbers from:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/juveniles-armed-carjackings-released-within-24-hours/
In addition to “just” 3 carjacking re-arrests, 10 of the 30 juvenile carjackers were rearrested on other violent crimes shortly after release. That’s a 43 percent recidivism rate within one calendar year. That’s off-the-charts high.
- Amalia - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:47 pm:
I say consult Ald. Brian Hopkins of the second ward in Chicago. (some may know him from the Netsch campaign in ‘94.) his newsletter of a couple of days ago details how a very large group of kids took the Red line to Chicago and State and started a bunch of trouble and scared people. this is not new. how to handle those not of adult age is not a small thing to the victims of crime.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 12:59 pm:
Fine give the first timer a pass with social service or even DCFS involment give the secon or third timer a break too if you want. But when an offender, juvy or adult shows up in court with 5 or more prior convictions not arrests but convictions it is time to get serious on a sentence. Also I believe any juveniles doing life have already had their sentences reviewed per US Supreme Court order. I believe could be in error on that
- Stuntman Bob's Brother - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 1:10 pm:
It seems like car theft (or carjacking) could be decreased through technology, where some kind of biometrics would be required for the vehicle to be operated (facial recognition, etc.). Not sure how this would affect valet’s, mechanics, etc., but if a vehicle could only be operated by an authorized person, its value to others would be greatly diminished.
On the other hand, if someone of any age is out there using a gun to carjack vehicles, getting shot themselves is more just than catch-and-release. If little Johnny’s brain is not developed to the point where he can’t help but commit violent felonies, then he needs to be on a short leash, not running loose in public.
- PJ - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 1:48 pm:
==started a bunch of trouble and scared people==
The teens “scared people”? Heavens be! Probably safest to give them all 10-25 in Statesville for disturbing the peace. Can’t have good folks getting scared.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 2:45 pm:
Dan Johnson, I have heard the same thing from friends in psych. The human brain isn’t finished developing til 25. 25 is the real biological age of adulthood. Who knew? I guess the rental car companies had it right this whole time.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 2:52 pm:
I don’t know the answer either but I do know that politically giving car jackers a pat on the head as punishment is not going to cut it in most of Illinois.
- crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 3:24 pm:
==politically giving car jackers a pat on the head as punishment is not going to cut it in most of Illinois==
that’s probably why judges don’t actually do it
- Gooner - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 3:48 pm:
Good point, Crazy Bleeding Heart.
Cook County judges are not giving a pat on the head as punishment.
They are not giving any punishment at all.
- Tony - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 4:40 pm:
If a 16 year old kids points a gun at someone in commission of a crime, there is obviously something very wrong going on in that young person’s life. Spending a few weeks in detention and receiving psych evaluation before release seems like a pretty good course of action for that kid. That’s all the bill does.
- Gooner - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 5:50 pm:
Tony,
I’m moderate to liberal.
With that being said, it is unfortunate that so many on the left simply don’t accept the idea that violent people need to be locked up to protect the rest of us.
Carjacking is not like breaking into a garage. It is violent and dangerous.
If you put a gun at somebody’s head, you need more than a few weeks detention.
One of my great frustrations with many liberals is that they want more restrictions in guns, but when people do violent things with guns, they create excuses for offenders.
- Amalia - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 6:15 pm:
@PJ, read the Tribune article where Brian Hopkins is quoted. flash mob of people ranging from 15-20 years old— jumping on cars, fighting, pushing people, running up and down the sidewalks. one kid arrested for throwing a liquid in the face of a cop. “Teenagers do have a tendency to get unruly and get uncontrolled; that happens every summer on the beaches … it happens in the school yards across the city,” said Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd. “But what did make this unique was the large numbers. This does appear to be intentionally planned with some forethought.”
The teens appear to have organized themselves on social media, Hopkins said. But unlike some other groups, Hopkins said the group did not target high-end retail shops….Hopkins, who once lived near Chicago and Michigan avenues, received calls from former neighbors and friends who reported that a large group of people ranging in age from 15 to 20 years old Saturday evening was scaring tourists and residents….There were “no serious injuries and no weapons recovered, but this was a group that was intent on creating chaos and mayhem,” he said.” so, yes, scary.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 8:18 pm:
“that’s probably why judges don’t actually do it”
Several car jackers have been back on the street the next day, according to media reports.
- tell the truth - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 7:24 am:
==If a 16 year old kids points a gun at someone in commission of a crime, there is obviously something very wrong going on in that young person’s life. Spending a few weeks in detention and receiving psych evaluation before release seems like a pretty good course of action for that kid. That’s all the bill does.==
No, it’s not. Stop lying.
The bill targets nonviolent possession, including inadvertent possession.
- Juvenal - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 8:57 am:
Rich:
BC makes a good point:
=== In addition to “just” 3 carjacking re-arrests, 10 of the 30 juvenile carjackers were rearrested on other violent crimes shortly after release. That’s a 43 percent recidivism rate within one calendar year. That’s off-the-charts high. ===
Seems like Rae Hodge is cherrypicking the data.
- MaryLouise - Wednesday, May 9, 18 @ 12:45 pm:
If you keep saying that “judges do nothing”, learn the law.
Judges cannot put anyone behind bars if the State’s Attorney dismisses or reduces charges to non incarceration.
The judge doesn’t just sit there and decide what he wants to do.
Put some responsibility where it belongs. The State’s Attorney is the one who files the charges and determines what they want the Court to do.
- Dee4Three - Thursday, May 10, 18 @ 4:26 pm:
Here’s a recurring theme with this penalty enhancement bills given by the Mayor.
Carjacking is a problem. That’s 100% true. But the solutions are typically much more about creating political cover rather than actually solving the problem.
So this bill being spun as “carjackers aren’t being held accountable, this bill holds them accountable”.
But then nobody actually bothers to understand what the bill actually does and what the actual data shows whats going on now.
22 juveniles who were charged with vehicular hijackings (including attempt and aggravated charges) 16 of them were detained in the detention center and 5 were placed on electronic monitoring.
For adults, the currently the minimum penalty for carjacking with a firearm is 21 years.