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Legislator presses forward with facial recognition ban even after it helped solve Loyola student murder case in her district

Posted in Crime, CWB Chicago, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb Bunny, Politics, Springfield, Who Cuts Your Hair?, WTF on March 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Jose Medina (Facebook, Dept. of Homeland Security)

By Tim Hecke | CWB Chicago

A bill that would bar Illinois law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition databases to help identify crime suspects is scheduled for a second day of legislative hearings, days after the technology helped Chicago police identify the man accused of murdering a Loyola University freshman in the bill’s sponsor’s own district.

House Bill 5521 is sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who represents the 14th District, which includes Rogers Park. Cassidy introduced the measure last Wednesday, hours before 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed at the Loyola Beach pier. Chicago police have since charged Jose Gregoria Medina Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan citizen, with Gorman’s murder.

An arrest report obtained by CWB Chicago describes how detectives worked to identify Medina as the shooter. Among the investigative steps, an officer wrote that video images of the gunman were sent to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which “returned matching candidate Jose Gregoria Medina Medina.”

If passed, HB5521 would prohibit Illinois law enforcement agencies from obtaining, retaining, possessing, accessing, requesting, using, or entering into agreements with third parties, state or local government agencies, or federal agencies to use certain biometric identification systems, including facial recognition.

It also bars the Secretary of State from providing facial recognition search services except when issuing a mobile driver’s license or identification card. That facial recognition database is the most commonly used within CPD.

On Sunday, CWB Chicago published a report detailing dozens of violent crimes — including murders, robberies, and sex offenses — that Chicago Police Department detectives have solved with the assistance of facial recognition. The technology has proven particularly useful in cases involving the CTA, where offenders are often anonymous, crimes can be random, and the transit system’s high-definition cameras provide broad coverage.

Article continues here.

Related: “Facial recognition helps cops solve some of Chicago’s most heinous crimes. This state legislator wants to shut it down,” “Hundreds of police departments use camera company (seen below) accused of breaking state law”

Automated license plate readers such as this one are installed throughout Barrington Hills.

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JB Pritzker Blames Trump For Student Allegedly Murdered By Illegal Alien — But Suspect Released Under Biden

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Crime, Daily Caller, Deception, Ethics, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, RealClear Politics, The Chicago Way on March 25, 2026| 1 Comment »

By Jason Cohen | Daily Caller

Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Tuesday blamed President Donald Trump for the murder of female college freshman Sheridan Gorman, allegedly at the hands of a criminal illegal alien.

Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national released twice under former President Joe Biden in 2023, allegedly shot and killed Gorman on Thursday near the Loyola University campus as she tried to flee, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Despite the suspect’s history, Pritzker placed the blame on “national failures” and the Trump administration when speaking to reporters.

“This has been a terrible tragedy. And I know that the Gorman family has suffered mightily … there have been real failures. Those failures, of course, extend beyond the borders of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “They’re national failures, a failure to have comprehensive immigration reform, a failure of the president to follow his own edict to go after the worst of the worst.”

“And in my view, we have a lot of work that we need to continue to do,” Pritzker also said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “But it is the job of the federal government to go after immigration enforcement, and it is the job of our local and state law enforcement to prosecute or catch violent criminals and prosecute them, and we should continue to do that both on the state level and the national level.”

Pritzker attempted repeatedly to portray Chicago as safe just months before the killing, despite the city suffering from a lengthy violent crime crisis. The governor has in recent months feuded with Trump over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and backed a January lawsuit brought by his state against Trump’s DHS.

Article continues here.

Related: “Sheridan Gorman’s Murder—and Chicago’s Silence,” “Gov. JB Pritzker acknowledges ‘real failures’ in immigration system after Loyola student’s killing”

 

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Facial recognition helps cops solve some of Chicago’s most heinous crimes. This state legislator wants to shut it down.

Posted in Crime, CWB Chicago, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb Bunny, Politics, Springfield, Who Cuts Your Hair? on March 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Illinois Rep. Kelly Cassidy, center, and images of some of the people who have been charged with violent crimes following investigations that involved the use of facial recognition. (Facebook, Chicago Police Department)

By Tim Hecke | CWB Chicago

An Illinois state legislator wants to strip law enforcement of a tool that has helped detectives solve murders, robberies, kidnappings, and sexual assaults — including some of the most violent crimes to hit the CTA in recent years: facial recognition.

When Chicago police detectives needed to figure out who stabbed 37-year-old Dominique Pollion to death and left his body on a Blue Line train in the Loop in January, facial recognition helped them get the investigation on the right track.

By feeding high-quality CTA video images into the Illinois Secretary of State’s database of state ID and driver’s license photos, detectives narrowed their focus to possible matches, including 21-year-old Demetrius Thurman. As their investigation continued, investigators allegedly found video on Thurman’s phone that shows him committing the crime.

Powerful stuff. But if a North Side state legislator gets her way, Illinois police will soon be barred from using any facial recognition database, including the Secretary of State’s, to do their work ever again.

The bill is called the Illinois Biometric Surveillance Act, and it’s being pushed by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who represents most of Rogers Park and Edgewater in Springfield. Cassidy’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story.

Her proposed law would ban the use of facial recognition and other biometric identifiers by law enforcement statewide. No agency could use the technology or enter into an agreement with a state or federal agency to use it. The bill would still allow “fingerprinting pursuant to an arrest or conviction, or to collect forensic evidence at a crime scene.” The bill does not include the ultimate biometric, DNA, among its “biometric identifiers.”

To be clear about how the tool works: a potential facial recognition match alone is not enough to file charges. Detectives use it to help generate leads and identify potential suspects.

Article continues here.

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Chicago tops country in porch pirate thefts, upwards of $250 million

Posted in Crime, Dumb Bunny on December 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Credit: AP/Charles Rex Arbogast

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor

Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste argues lawmakers need to look in the mirror when it comes to placing blame for Chicago’s status as the worst city in the country for porch pirate thefts.

Research firm SafeWise finds city residents lost more than $254 million in stolen goods in 2025 stemming from at least 6.5 million incidents. Ugaste said it’s not hard to deduce why Chicago has become such an easy target.

“Until earlier this year when Cook County got a new state’s attorney in Chicago, there was a very lax enforcement of laws,” Ugaste, R-Geneva, told The Center Square. “No consequences for actions and for bad actions and this is what you get. The other thing is the SAFE-T Act. My guess is if we toughen up law enforcement and if we especially do something to make certain repeat offenders are held accountable, we’ll see a steep decline in that number.”

Enacted in 2021, the so-called SAFE-T Act institutes criminal justice reforms that include a no cash bail provision.

With the thefts having also cost retailers nationwide roughly $22 billion in replacement, refund, shipping and customer service costs, Ugaste said Chicago is among the places where that price-tag is proving to be most costly.

“It’s going to raise prices for people in our areas and people are not going to want to live in an area that’s like that because they don’t have to put up with this in other areas,” he said. “It has all sorts of negative impacts.”

More here.

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Family launches fundraiser for woman set on fire on CTA Blue Line

Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, Crime, Fundraisers on November 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The family of a 26-year-old woman attacked and set on fire on a CTA Blue Line train Nov. 17 has started a GoFundMe to help with her recovery. | GoFundMe

The 26-year-old woman suffered severe burns after the Nov. 17 attack near the CTA Clark and Lake station. The fundraiser had raised nearly $230,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

By  Sun-Times Wire

The family of a 26-year-old woman attacked on a Blue Line train this month has launched a fundraiser as she faces “a long road ahead” toward her recovery.

Bethany MaGee is being treated at a hospital for severe burns she suffered when a man poured gasoline on her and set her on fire Nov. 17 near the CTA Clark and Lake station, according to the GoFundMe and prosecutors.

The fundraiser had collected nearly $230,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, more than halfway toward its $330,000 goal.

“Many of her immediate medical expenses are covered by insurance and a victims fund, but with such a long road ahead of her, the freedom from financial worries would be a tremendous blessing,” her family said in the fundraiser post. “No gifts are expected, but any that are given will go directly to Bethany.”

Read more here.

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Pritzker’s Angry Violent Left Kills Any Hope of Immigration Compromise

Posted in Crime, John Kass News, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order on November 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

By John Kass | John Kass News

One mistake people who don’t know me make is when they say I’m uncompromising.

That’s bs. I’m not uncompromising, except when it comes to bad whiskey, rude bartenders and snotty leftist journalists.  But when it comes to human beings, I’m all about listening to what reasonable people have to say in offering to avoid unnecessary strife.

The strife of the AWFLs (Angry White Female Leftists) or the Latina equivalent, which, is awfully unattractive to those voters who aren’t rabid commies.

So I was all ears when Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez was a recent guest on the Chicago Way Podcast to discuss possible compromise for law abiding illegal migrants who’ve been here for years, but who haven’t committed crimes. And I leave the podcast link here so you can hear for yourself.

“Well, there’s a pathway, John,” said Ald. Lopez.  “There really is. And I think the question is, are we willing to find a solution?

“Or are we just doing this so that we have an excuse to continue to fight Donald Trump and pander to the most extreme of our party? We can find a solution.

“And there’s a very simple one, which I presented to Donald Trump in my letter a few weeks ago, which is you have to take the broken immigration system that we have on a two-tier track and look at it from that perspective.

“You have to deal with the Biden-Harris migrants separately from how you deal with the long-term undocumented who have been forgotten about since Barack Obama first took office. And we can address both simultaneously and still achieve the goals that he put out as well as finally produce on something that Democrats have long talked about, which is granting amnesty to those long-term undocumented individuals. In Chicago, mostly Mexican individuals who are those hardworking people in our communities who have been waiting for a path forward, we can grant them a pardon, grant them amnesty, grant them a path forward.”

Amesty?

Hmmm.

Amnesty?

Read more here.

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Please HIRE this individual* – “Palatine police officer assists in ‘stabilizing’ federal enforcement action, department says”

Posted in Crime, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Public Safety, VBHPD on October 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

People protest outside the Palatine police station Oct. 28, 2025, after authorities said a Palatine police officer aided a federal enforcement action Monday morning. | Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune

By Tess Kenny | Chicago Tribune

Holding signs that read, “Do better be better” and “Resist,” about 100 people protested outside Palatine police headquarters Tuesday, a day after one of the department’s officers aided a federal enforcement action, a move that has raised questions over whether the officer acted in accordance with state law and prompted local backlash.

“I had thought that in Illinois, police are not supposed to help (U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” longtime Palatine resident Linda Sabor said as she stood alongside fellow demonstrators and her husband.

In Illinois, the TRUST Act prevents the use of state and local resources for civil immigration enforcement purposes, according to a fact sheet from the Illinois attorney general. The law, however, does not prevent law enforcement from “taking action to maintain peace and ensure public safety within their jurisdiction,” the fact sheet notes.

While noting that she didn’t fully know the state law, Sabor, 69, said she came because she wanted clarity on where her local authorities stood.

Just before noon Monday, Palatine police officers observed three federal agents attempting to take a person into custody after responding to a report of a disturbance in the northwest suburb, Palatine police said in a news release.

During the confrontation, a crowd of about 20 people gathered, with “several individuals shouting obscenities and moving toward the arresting agents,” according to the department. In turn, a Palatine officer positioned himself between the agents and the crowd “to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to maintain order at the scene,” the department added.

However, after continuing to see agents struggle with the person and “given the subject’s noncompliance, the agitated crowd and the potential risk of injury,” the officer “made the split-second decision to assist in stabilizing the situation,” the department said.

The officer gave verbal instructions in Spanish to the person being detained and grasped the person’s right arm — which was already being handcuffed — while the agents secured the person’s left arm to help bring the incident to a resolution, according to the department.

Read more here.

*It has been reported that our Village stands to lose as many as three police officers in 2026 due to retirements.

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Chicago ranks among America’s least safe cities

Posted in Crime, Dumb and Dumber, Illinois Policy Institute, Politics on October 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

While Aurora sits near the top of the safety rankings, Chicago lands near the bottom undermining claims by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson.

By LyLena Estabine | Illinois Policy Institute

A new safety ranking from WalletHub paints a stark picture for Chicago. Out of 182 U.S. cities, Chicago ranks 161st in overall safety.

For comparison, New York City ranks 117th. Los Angeles ranks 156th. Phoenix ranks 136th.

This poor ranking comes amid growing concerns about violent crime and transit safety. Despite repeated assurances from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson that the city is safe, these numbers tell a different story.

WalletHub evaluated each city on home and community safety, the risk of natural disaster and financial safety.

The only other Illinois municipality included in the ranking was Aurora, which ranked 33rd, much higher in the listing.

Read more here.

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Madigan reports to West Virginia prison

Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, Crime, Deception, Perjury on October 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan began serving his prison sentence Monday in West Virginia, 500 miles from Chicago.

By Jon Seidel | Chicago Sun*Times  

In West Virginia: Michael J. Madigan, the longtime former head of Illinois’ Democratic Party, is in prison. The 83-year-old surrendered Monday to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Morgantown, West Virginia — 500 miles away from Chicago and a 1.5-hour drive south of Pittsburgh — according to a source. Prison camps are known to have little to no fencing and inmates have access to a prison commissary.

The sentence: U.S. District Judge John Blakey handed Madigan a 7.5-year prison sentence in June, four months after a jury convicted him of bribery conspiracy, wire fraud and other crimes. Madigan testified in his own defense at trial, and Blakey found that he lied to the jury.

Key context: Madigan’s surrender caps a massive corruption investigation that began in 2014. But it wasn’t until Jan. 29, 2019, that the Sun-Times revealed the FBI had secretly recorded Madigan inside his private law office. About 20 people have since been charged. Madigan is the 11th to report to prison. Three others are due behind bars in the coming weeks.

Read on here.

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Ex-speaker Madigan to begin 7.5-year prison sentence Monday

Posted in Crime, Politics, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on October 11, 2025| 1 Comment »

Photo credit: Nam Y. Huh

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

One day before the Illinois General Assembly’s fall veto session is scheduled to begin, one of the most powerful lawmakers in state history is headed to prison.

Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago, served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021 and was speaker for all but two years between 1983 and 2021. He chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois for 23 years and led Chicago’s 13th Ward Democratic Organization.

A federal judge sentenced Madigan to 7.5 years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of $2.5 million earlier this year, after a jury convicted the former speaker on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and use of a facility to promote unlawful activity.

Judge John Robert Blakey presided over the trial of Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain. Blakey also sentenced Madigan and ordered the former speaker to report to prison at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13.

Brian Gaines, Honorable W. Russell Arrington professor in State Politics at the University of Illinois, said he did not think Madigan would end up behind bars.

“I always thought he was a master of control and someone who had figured out just how to tiptoe along the lines of legality but stay on the right side,” Gaines told The Center Square.

More here.

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