Pilot program paves way for Chicago police to charge gun suspects – Washington Examiner
The article discusses the introduction of a new pilot program in chicago called the “Felony Review Bypass Program,” which allows police in the Englewood neighborhood to charge gun suspects with felonies without prior review and approval from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. launched on January 1, as part of an effort by State Attorney Eileen Burke to adopt a tougher stance on crime, the program shifts the decision-making power from prosecutors to the on-duty watch lieutenant.
Concerns have emerged regarding the program. State representative La Shawn Ford expressed the need for collaboration between prosecutors and law enforcement to ensure appropriate charges are made, arguing that thorough review is essential for justice. Residents, particularly in englewood, have voiced their outrage, feeling unfairly targeted by this policy.
data shows that in the months as the program began, police have filed 22 felony gun cases, while the State’s Attorney’s Office has rejected approximately 10% of similar charges in a wider context. The program will undergo assessments every three months, with Burke’s office committed to keeping the public informed on its outcomes.
Pilot program paves way for Chicago police to charge gun suspects
(The Center Square) – Englewood residents could now face felony gun charges without officers being required to have the case reviewed and approved by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office beforehand.
A collaboration between the Chicago Police Department and the office of new Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen Burke, the so-called “Felony Review Bypass Program” that officially launched on Jan. 1, comes on the heels of Burke vowing as a candidate to make being tougher on crime a key cog of her administration.
Up until the pilot program being put in place, charging determinations were left in the hands of prosecutors, who often reviewed body camera footage and police reports before arriving at any decision but under the new guidelines that decision will now be left to the watch lieutenant on duty.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, hears concerns about the program.
“Our goal should be to file felony convictions on the right person,” Ford told The Center Square. “I think that we need to make sure that the prosecutors and law enforcement work closely together and the direction should be coming from the prosecutor’s office.”
With Englewood area residents feeling targeted already expressing outrage over the new policy, Ford said it’s all to be expected given some of the actions taken by city officials.
“I don’t think we’ve followed our consent decree enough to trust the fact that we have the ability to trust a system without some type of review,” he said. “I mean, we still have the consent decree that probably would be something that the consent decree may not agree with. I don’t think anybody would be in disagreement with charging the right person, but if the goal is to make our streets safer the best way to make them safe is to try the right case.”
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Data shows in the nearly three months since the policy went into effect, 7th District officers have filed 22 felony gun cases. In 2024, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office rejected gun charges in 464 of 4,200 felony cases, or at a clip of roughly 10%.
With the program slated for review every three months, Burke’s office has pledged to provide updates on the program in the coming weeks.
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