Chicago alder wants City Council to dig into how Cook County enforces arrest warrants after officer's shooting death
A Chicago alderwoman is trying to get a better idea of who is on electronic monitoring in Cook County and how they're being tracked. She also wants to know what efforts are being made to track down those with active arrest warrants.
According to data from the Circuit Court Clerk's office, 72,000 people have an active arrest warrant in Cook County. The majority of those people are wanted because of some criminal offense.
In the wake of Chicago police officer John Bartholomew's shooting death – allegedly at the hands of 26-year-old Alphanso Talley, who had an active warrant against him at the time – Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) is trying to figure out how the city and county are enforcing arrest warrants.
"When a warrant is issued on a person, what is that process and how are they being enforced?" she said.
In Talley's case, he'd been released on electronic monitoring while facing charges for carjacking and robbery. While on electronic monitoring, he missed curfew multiple times and let his ankle bracelet die because he failed to charge it when he also missed a court date.
A warrant was issued for his failure to appear in court.
"Those are wanted people by the police, and some of them are committing more crimes," Tabares said.
The case has raised questions about the county's pretrial release and electronic monitoring programs.
At City Hall, while the City Council does not have power to change state law – such as the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail in Illinois – or to dictate how the judicial system works. But some alders want to invite leaders from the Cook County court system and Chicago public safety officials for a special hearing on the court system's response to criminal warrants, orders of protection, and their electronic monitoring programs.
Tabares has introduced a resolution that will ask for just that.
"Explain how the justice system is working or not working for residents," Tabares said. "When there is lack of transparency, that breeds distrust, and we need answers."
Data obtained by CBS News Chicago show that since the SAFE-T Act went into effect in 2023, the number of people monitored by pretrial services in Cook County has gone up 69%; with 2,941 people currently on electronic monitoring, a 76% increase in those on monitoring bracelets.
Of those released on pretrial monitoring, 90% showed up for their required court appearance, with warrants issued for the 10% who missed their court dates.
Tabares said she has reached out to the Cook County Chief Judge, Cook County Sheriff, Cook County State's Attorney, and Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court to ask them to attend a hearing on electronic monitoring and arrest warrant enforcement.
None of those offices have confirmed to either Tabares or CBS News Chicago if they'll participate in such a hearing.
Tabares plans to introduce her proposal at the next City Council meeting on May 20, hoping for a hearing sometime this summer.
