Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Recognizes State’s Attorney Burke as Chicago Sees Historic Low in Summer Violence

CHICAGO – Today, the Chicago Tribune published an editorial reflecting on factors that led to a historic drop in homicides during Chicago’s summer months this year -- highlighting, in part, the impact of State’s Attorney Eileen Burke's leadership driving down violent crime.   

In the piece, the Editorial Board discusses changes and improvements SA Burke has made to the CCSAO since taking office nearly two years ago, including hiring initiatives to ensure the CCSAO has more attorneys to serve victims, the swift deployment of a new digital evidence management system to handle the explosion of video evidence that prosecutors are receiving in their cases, and an improved relationship with law enforcement.  

As the editorial states, the Chicago Police Department recorded 122 homicides in June, July and August this year, which is down from 129 in the same period last year and marks the lowest number of homicides seen during this stretch since 1965.  

The entire editorial can be read HERE.   

Selected excerpts:  

• “In a year’s time, the office has added 200 much-needed new attorneys, ... Given a $30 million budget increase, her operation has filled all vacancies ... That would suggest it is now a desirable place for a young attorney to work.” 
• “O’Neill Burke rapidly deployed a new digital evidence management system that greatly eases the sharing of the massive volumes of evidence, particularly videos, within the office and with defense attorneys during discovery. That will get more cases in front of judges or juries more quickly in a county whose record on speedy trials has been woeful.” 
• “...the office under O’Neill Burke has emphasized keeping the public safe from accused violent criminals as they await trial and seeking meaningful sentences rather than plea deals for those serious crimes.” 
• “...the relationship between police officers and the state’s attorney office now is cooperative and productive...” 
• ““There are two things that deter crime: likelihood of being caught and likelihood of being punished,” O’Neill Burke told us.” 

This editorial follows several of SA Burke’s recent public safety initiatives, including advocating for legislative reform to the growing use of electronic monitoring as a form of pretrial release for violent defendants and the creation of two different task forces to improve public transit safety for residents, tourists and transit workers. 

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