THE.
>> CARJACKINGS IN COOK COUNTY
ARE ON PACE TO BE THE WORST IN
TWO DECADES.
ACCORD TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE,
CARJACKINGS HAVE INCREASED BY
NEARLY 44% THIS YEAR COMPARED TO
THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
IN MARCH, A TASK FORCE WAS
FORMED BY THE CHICAGO POLICE
DEPARTMENT, THE COOK COUNTY
SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE
ILLINOIS STATE POLICE ALONG WITH
OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
TO TRY TO PUT THE BRAKES ON
CARJACKINGS.
JOINING US NOW WITH MORE IS COOK
COUNTY SHERIFF TOM DARD.
WELCOME BACK.
WHAT PROMPTED THE COUNTY TO
CREATE THE STATE OF THIS.
>> WE'VE BEEN PARTNERED UP WITH
THEM AND DOING AN INCREDIBLE
JOB.
THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS
IT'S HORRIBLE BUT GOING ON ALL
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
MINNEAPOLIS WHERE IT'S GONE UP
500%, NEW YORK HAS GONE UP LIKE
80%.
IT'S REALLY -- IT'S HAPPENING
EVERYWHERE, IT'S HORRIBLE AND SO
IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ALL OF THE
DEPARTMENTS BUT THE NOTION WAS
THAT THE FIRST THING WE REALLY
NEED TO DO IS IN ADDITION TO
OBVIOUSLY SOLVING THE CRIMES IS
GET THE DATA SO WE CAN START
ANALYZING WHO'S DOING IT, WHERE
THEY'RE OCCURRING MORE OFTEN AND
DEVELOP STRATEGIES.
>> AND HOW WAS THE DATA
COLLECTED?
WAS IT BASED ON REPORTS?
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, CHICAGO ALREADY HAD
GREAT DATA, SO IT WAS ABOUT
TAKING ALL THAT AND PUTTING IT
INTO A DASHBOARD FORUM.
BUT FOR SUBURBAN COUNTY WE KNEW
THEY WERE BEING PLAGUED BY THIS
AS WELL AND THAT WAS ALL OVER
THE BOARD.
SOME DEPARTMENTS HAD REALLY GOOD
DATA AND OTHERS DID NOT AT ALL.
IT TOOK US A WHILE TO PUT IT
TOGETHER AND IN DOING THAT WE
HAVE A COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE
COUNTY HEALTH.
>> YOU SAID THIS IS UP ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY BY AS MUCH AS 500%
IN SOME CITIES.
BUT WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHY
CARJACKINGS ARE UP SO MUCH THIS
YEAR?
>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
ATTEMPTING TO COME UP WITH THAT
EXPLANATION, AND THERE'S A
MYRIAD OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DO MENTION
COVID AND SOME OF THE ISSUES
WITH THAT.
OVER HALF OF THE CARJACKINGS ARE
DONE BY JUVENILES AND DURING
COVID, YOU KNOW, SO MANY OF THE
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, SO MANY
OF THE SCHOOLS ITSELF WERE
CANCELED, AND SO THERE WAS LESS
FOR KIDS TO DO AND A LOT OF IDLE
TIME.
SO THAT WAS PART OF IT.
BUT THERE WAS OTHER DYNAMICS
COMING INTO PLAY TOO.
THINK ABOUT IT FOR A SECOND,
BRANDICE.
NOT TOO LONG AGO IF YOU HAD AN
INDIVIDUAL WITH A MASK ON COMING
ANYWHERE NEAR YOU, YOU KNEW
TROUBLE WAS AFOOT.
NOW EVERYONE HAS A MASK ON.
SO IT MAKES IT -- YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE LET THEIR GUARD DOWN, AND
MORE IMPORTANTLY AS FAR AS
TRYING TO ARREST AND PROSECUTE
PEOPLE IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT
BECAUSE THE NORM IS EVERYONE
WEARS MASKS.
SO THERE'S A LOAD OF FACTORS
COMING INTO PLAY HERE, BUT NOW
HAVING DATA, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE
A BETTER EFFORT AT IT AND WE'RE
SEEING RESULTS, TOO, BRANDIS.
WE'RE RECOVERING CARS AT A MUCH
HIGHER RATE THAN WE THOUGHT JUST
A YEAR AGO AND A BIG FACTOR IS,
TOO, THAT WE'RE CUTTING THE
AMOUNT OF TIME THE CAR IS
ACTUALLY GONE.
SO WE'VE CUT IN HALF THE AMOUNT
OF TIME IT TAKES FOR THE CAR TO
BE RECOVERED SO IT CAN'T BE USED
IN A CRIME THEN DURING THAT,
OBVIOUSLY.
>> SO WE HAVE A HEAT MAP
BASICALLY THAT SHOWS THAT THE
WEST SIDE IS THE EPICENTER OF
CARJACKERRINGS THIS YEAR, WEST
SIDE OF CHICAGO AND A LITTLE BIT
OF THE SURROUNDING AREA, AND OF
COURSE WE KNOW THAT THE CPD HAS
FORMED A TASK FORCE THAT
INCLUDED YOUR OFFICE.
WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION ARE YOU
SHARING BETWEEN AGENCY AS SOON
AS.
>> LITERALLY EVERYTHING.
AND A PART OF IT HAS BEEN VERY
HELPFUL IN WAYS THAT I DON'T
KNOW IF WE FULLY APPRECIATE AT
THE TIME, TOO, BECAUSE WE'RE
GETTING MUCH MORE LIVE TIME,
TIME INFORMATION, BUT IN DOING
THAT, AS WE ALL KNOW, CAR CHASES
ARE SOMETHING THAT CAN GO
DRAMATICALLY WRONG IN A HURRY.
SO BY LOOKING AT THE DATA, WE
ARE ABLE TO FIND A LOT OF THE
PATTERNS SO WE KNEW WHEN WE'D
HAVE OUR TASK FORCE, YOU KNOW,
DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ADDING
MUCH MORE PERSONNEL, WE KNOW TO
HAVE THAT ACTIVATED BECAUSE WE
COULDN'T DO IT AROUND THE CLOCK
BECAUSE ALL OF THESE ARE STRESS
EVENTS BUT ALSO WE HAVE OUR
HELICOPTERS UP, AND WE'VE HAD
NUMEROUS CASES WHERE IN THE PAST
YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO CALL OFF
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PURSUE THE
VEHICLE.
THE HELICOPTER FOLLOWED THE
VEHICLE AND THERE WAS SOMEONE AT
THE OTHER END WAITING FOR THEM
TO MAKE THE ARREST.
SO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS HAVE
BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL, WE HAVE
A LONG WAY TO GO, AND IN CHICAGO
AND THE FEDERAL AGENCIES, THE
STATE POLICE, WE'RE ALL WORKING
TOGETHER ON THIS ONE.
>> SO YOU'VE LEARNED SOME
INFORMATION FROM THIS DATA, AND
ACCORDING TO THAT DATABASE,
CARJACKINGS OCCUR MORE OFTEN ON
TUESDAYS, THE WEST SIDE AS WE
SAID IS THE HOT SPOT, 2/3 OF THE
VICTIMS HAVE BEEN MEN, AND THE
MOST TARGETED VEHICLE IS THE
TOYOTA CAMARY.
WHAT OTHER PATTERNS HAVE YOU ALL
NOTICED?
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS INTERESTING
BECAUSE ONCE WE STARTED LOOKING
AT WHAT CARS WERE TARGETED, NOT
ONLY DOES IT GIVE AN INDIVIDUAL
REASON TO HAVE YOUR GUARD UP,
BUT WHY WERE THEY TARGETING THE
CARS?
FOR THE CAMARIES, IT'S BECAUSE
THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM, IT WAS
EASIER TO SUBSEQUENTLY USE IN A
CRIME, WHERE AS THE SECOND CAR
WAS A JEEP CHEROKEE, I BELIEVE
IT WAS.
AND THAT ONE, IT WAS MORE
BECAUSE THOSE WERE ONES THAT
WERE TARGETED FOR SECONDARY
SALES.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO START
DEVELOPING THAT.
WE HAD BETTER IDEAS ON WHETHER
OR NOT THERE WAS CREWS THAT WERE
OPERATING.
AND BRANDIS, ONE THING IS IT
GOES FROM THE JUVENILES BY AND
LARGE ARE DOING IT FOR JOYRIDES
WITH GUNS, TO SCARE PEOPLE TO
DEATH, RIGHTFULLY SO, TO THE
OTHER WHERE IT'S VERY
PROFESSIONAL AND THEY ARE WILDLY
SOPHISTICATED WITH THEIR FAUBS
AND REPROGRAMMING AND THEY CAN
WALK ON TO CAR LOTS AND STEAL
CARS RIGHT OFF THE CLOTS AND
HAVE FAUBS THAT OPEN DOORS AND
START CARS UP.
>> OKAY.
LAST MONTH WE HEARD FROM COOK
COUNTY BOARD PRESIDENT THAT TWO
SUSPECTS TRIED TO CARJACK HER
SECURITY IN FRONT OF HAD HER
HYDE PARK HOME.
WHAT OTHER KIND OF TACTICS ARE
YOU AND THE OTHER LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES DEPLOYING
TO STOP THE CARJACKINGS?
>> THE BIG THING TO BE HONEST
WITH YOU IS THE FACT THAT ONCE
WE FOUND THE DATES -- AND THAT'S
MOVED AROUND A BIT.
BUT ONCE WE FOUND THE DATES AND
TIMES OF THE ONES THAT WERE
BEING -- WHERE MOST PEOPLE WERE
BEING VICTIMIZED, WE WERE ABLE
TO CONCENTRATE OUR FORCES ON
THOSE DAYS, AND WE ARE -- OUR
DEPARTMENT, ALL OF THE
DEPARTMENTS, WE'RE MAKING
ARRESTS NOW.
SO WE'RE MAKING MORE RECOVERIES
DEFINITELY.
WE'RE MAKING MORE ARRESTS
DEFINITELY.
SO WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THAT,
AND THAT'S ALL BEING DRIVEN BY
US HAVING BETTER IDEAS ON WHERE,
WHAT TYPES OF CARS AND WHEN THIS
IS OCCURRING.
>> SHERIFF, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO
MENTIONED THAT 2/3 OF THE
VICTIMS HAVE BEEN MEN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS
SURPRISING, THAT MORE VICTIMS
WERE MEN THAN WOMEN BUT WHAT IS
YOUR ADVICE TO MOTORISTS TO, A,
AVOID A CARJACKING AND WHAT THEY
SHOULD DO IF IT LOOKS LIKE
THEY'RE ABOUT TO BE A VICTIM?
>> THE ONE THING IS THAT YOU
TELL PEOPLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
YOU CAN ALWAYS GET YOUR PROPERTY
BACK.
YOU CANNOT SAVE YOUR LIFE.
YOU KNOW, FIGHTING THESE THIEVES
ARE NOT A GOOD IDEA.
GIVE PEOPLE YOUR CAR.
I HAD THIS VERY DISCUSSION WITH
MY OWN CHILDREN, YOU START WITH
THAT, BUT WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING,
YOU HAVE TO BE VERY AWARE, WHICH
IS COUNTER TO THE CULTURE WE'RE
IN RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW PEOPLE IN SPITE OF
BEING ILLEGAL, THEY'RE
CONSTANTLY ON THEIR PHONES,
LOOKING AT EMAILS AND TEXTS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT, AND YOU SET
YOURSELF UP FOR MORE OF A VICTIM
IF YOU'RE NOT ENGAGED.
SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE ON YOUR
TOES MORE.
SAD TO SAY THAT, BUT YOU SHOULD
BE ANYWAYS AND CERTAINLY YOU
SHOULDN'T BE ON YOUR PHONE.
>> SHERIFF, A FEW WEEKS AGO,
SWITCHING GEARS JUST A LITTLE
BIT, YOU FILED SUIT AGAINST THE
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS OVER ABOUT 500 OR SO
DETAINEES WHO WERE IN YOUR
CUSTODY WHO SHOULD BE IN THE
STATE'S CUSTODY, BUT YOUR
PETITION WAS DENIED.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE GLC,
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER
RECOURSE?
>> I WISH WE DID, BRANDIS,
BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE
WE'VE EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A
YEAR AND A HALF NOW.
ONE TIME WE HAD OVER 1,000
PEOPLE WE WERE SITTING ON.
AND TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE,
THAT MEANS I HAVE TO OPEN UP
BUILDINGS THAT HAVE LONG BEEN
CLOSED AND HAVE HAVE MY STAFF --
MANDATE MY STAFF, THIS VERY TO
STAY AFTER WORK, DO AN
ADDITIONAL SHIFT, SO THERE'S A
HIGH BURN-OUT FACTOR ON MY STAFF
THAT ALREADY IT'S A VERY
DIFFICULT JOB AS IT IS, AND WITH
ALL OF THE COVID MITIGATION
THINGS THAT WE DO MAKE IT EVEN
MORE DIFFICULT, AND NOW I'M
ASKING PEOPLE, TELLING PEOPLE
THAT YOU CAN'T GO HOME TO
WHATEVER EVENTS YOU MOOITY HAVE
SET UP BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WATCH
A BUILDING THAT SHOULD BE CLOSED
BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS WON'T TAKE PEOPLE.
THERE'S NO DISCUSSION.
THEY ALL KNOW LEGALLY THEY'RE
NOT SUPPOSED TO BE WITH ME BUT
THEY'RE SAYING BECAUSE OF
MITIGATION ISSUES, WHICH I FIND
SO PERPLEXING, EVERYONE SAYS
THESE ARE UNDER CONTROL,
VACCINATIONS GOING ON, IF THAT'S
THE CASE, WHY AM I STILL SITTING
ON ABOUT 600 PEOPLE, WHICH
REPRESENTS, BRANDIS ABOUT, A
TENTH OF MANUFACTURE POPULATION
HERE.
>> OAK.
THAT'S SUBSTANTIAL -- I THINK
IDOC SAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO
TAKE THEM AS THEY ARE ABLE TO