A mom and her 10 kids are facing homelessness in a tight rental market after a fire
A June 16 fire forced the Diaz family out of their Little Village apartment. Money for their motel runs out Saturday.
Patrick Smith
Reporter, Criminal Justice
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Illinois is routinely housing wards of the state in Chicago’s jail for kids
The state’s child welfare agency says it has nowhere else to put the children. Opponents call it cruel, and a civil rights violation.
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What is and isn’t allowed by Illinois’ gun laws
Assault rifles, including the infamous AR-15, may be purchased in the state – but not in Cook County or Chicago.
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A man allegedly threatened Mayor Lori Lightfoot and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx over crime
The man allegedly said he was incensed by news coverage of violence in his neighborhood, worried it was “too close to home.”
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A new University of Chicago academy seeks to build better police leaders
The well-funded initiative aims to reduce crime and reform departments by improving police supervision.
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What’s driving Chicago’s carjacking surge? Not the city’s youth, a new study suggests.
Police have blamed young people seeking joyrides for the uptick, but a researcher points to perpetrators with economic motivations.
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Illinois slow to use federal funds to stop gun violence
The funds, part of the federal government’s response to the pandemic, were budgeted for anti-violence efforts, but have not yet been spent.
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700 Chicago officers are refusing the city’s vaccine mandate without consequence
Another 1,500 cops are not vaccinated but they have received religious or medical exemptions.
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Top prosecutor Kim Foxx is seeking early release for some prisoners
The move comes as violence surges and Foxx is criticized for going easy on criminals. She expects a backlash.
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Five months ago her son was killed on camera. His killer is still free.
Maria Soila Vega’s son Christopher Torrijos was murdered on Sept. 16, 2021. It’s one of hundreds of Chicago murders without an arrest.
