Sheriff Tom Dart vigilant after death threats

CHICAGO -  Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose jurisdiction includes Chicago and environs, recently told CBS Chicago that he's being vigilant after recent threats on his life.

A reporter for the station asked Dart about that after noticing the gun on his belt. Though Dart has always carried a gun in his professional capacity, he's recently gotten some unwanted attention in the form of the threats.

“It’s been impressed upon me that I have five little kids, and I need to be around a bit,” Dart told the station. “So, I can’t just cavalierly just blow everything off.”

“It’s a little bit of a wake-up call, unfortunately,” he added. “I have no delusions of my abilities.”

The gun simply goes with the job, he says.

Editors's note: This story was updated at 2:05 p.m. to reflect that Dart has always carried a gun.