Significant

1919: Organization of the Chicago Crime Commission (the Commission).

1920: The persistent work of the Commission disclosed information that many murderers had received immunity from trial. These disclosures resulted in the rapid trial of 300 murderers on the docket and the execution of 11 of the m.

1921: The Commission's actions led to the disclosure that many criminals were released on worthless bonds. The disclosure resulted in the organization of a Bond Department in the State's Attorney's office, which provided for more rigorous scrutiny of bonds.

1922: The Commission moved to tighten law enforcement procedures by recommending an increased number of  police officers. One thousand patrolmen were added. Similarly, the Commission pressed for a raise in judicial standards at the Criminal Court, which resulted in the assignment of 11 additional judges to the court.

1924: Conferences were held with Cook County officials who administered criminal justice, to implement parole procedures and tighten law enforcement. “Pledges” of cooperation were secured.

1925: The Commission began a movement to bring about collection of forfeited bonds amounting to more than $5 million at the time. 

1926: The campaign to collect forfeited bonds resulted in the first Sheriff’s sales at public auction of property guaranteeing such bonds. The Commission began a movement to revise the Criminal Code, and recommend construction of a new County Jail and Criminal Court Building. Commission evidence resulted in the forced resignation of parole officers.

1927: Construction began on the Criminal Courts Building, for which the Commission campaigned.  Bond disclosures in the Municipal Court led to the organization of a Bail/Bond Court at the Municipal Court.

1928: Investigation of complaints registered with the Chicago Police Department uncovered that the police department was suppressing many complaints in an effort to “reduce” the crime rate.  Among complaints were practices of the police to bargain with individuals charged with crime and the use of felony waivers as an aid to bartering. The Commission organized a more intensive survey of the police department to investigate these practices, and demanded the removal of all persons responsible.

1930: The Commission began a public campaign against “public enemies” by exposing the immunity from criminal action enjoyed by many criminals and by publishing a list of the 28 most notorious gangsters who were “public enemies." The list named Al Capone as public enemy number one. This action brought national and international publicity calling attention to the problem.

1931: A second list of public enemies was made public.

1932: The Commission revealed that auto theft was extremely high in Chicago and that public officials were not taking steps to deal with this problem. The Chicago Motor Club and other organizations joined in the effort to combat auto theft.  The Chief Justice of the Municipal Court responded by setting up a program of transferring all auto theft cases to the Boys' Court. The Commission also revealed probation judges and the State’s Attorney and his officials were not enforcing the law. It recommended that these officials not be returned to office. Virtually all such officials charged with laxity were defeated.

1933: In tandem with other groups, the Commission backed the "Uniform Motor Vehicle Anti-Theft Act," which was passed by the Illinois General Assembly. The Act provided for the title registration of all automobiles bought and sold. Records disclosed that since publication of the public enemy list in 1930, 15 of the 28 persons on the list had been convicted, nine were dead, one was awaiting deportation, eight had cases pending, and the rest were “hiding out."

1934: The Commission backed a proposal of Governor Horner to survey the Illinois parole system. Insurance companies reduced auto theft insurance by 26% as the result of the new title-registration law.

1936: The Commission proposed and helped draft a new Criminal Code for introduction into the 1937 General Assembly.

1939: The Commission disclosed that gambling charges were inadequately handled in the Racket Branch of the Municipal Court and issued a bulletin on the operation of the court. It also took an active part in pressing the fight against syndicated gambling and assisted the State’s Attorney in his anti-gambling campaign.

1940: Through E. W. Puttkammer of the Police Committee, the Chicago Crime Commission helped plan a new code department for the State, the Department of Public Safety, and supported the Governor’s bill to that effect. The bill was passed and the new department created in 1941. The Commission also was active in the fight against Frank (“The Enforcer”) Nitti, in his control of bookie establishments and his efforts to control the Bar Tenders’ Union.

1942: The Commission exposed inefficiency and political manipulation of the Civil Service Commission. It demanded the resignation of officials and stated that four policemen should have been discharged for dereliction of duty; the policemen were suspended.

1943: Assistance of the State's Attorney’s office in conducting raids on gambling establishments was secured after Cook County Highway Police staged fake raids. Grand Jury action was requested when the gambling equipment seized in those raids disappeared from the custody of the Highway Police. The Grand Jury was appointed, and voted numerous indictments of police and gambling figures in Cook County and Chicago. Three convictions were finally obtained. The Commission exposed sale of police reports by officers in the Accident Prevention Division of the Chicago Police Department. The Police and Sheriff’s Committee met with the Mayor on this matter and reports were subsequently made available.

1944:  Commission investigations revealed that liquor licenses were issued to persons with criminal records and that taverns were managed by ex-convicts in violation of the Tavern Code. As the result of the Commission's1943 efforts and the Grand Jury action on gambling disclosures, seven police captains were discharged by the Civil Service Commission.

1945: Commission investigations identified irregularities in the handling of deceased persons by the police.  Conferences with the Coroner, Public Administrator’s Office, and police officials led to the establishment of procedures to insure the proper handling of deceased persons and the disposal of the deceased's property. 

1952: A distraught tobacco wholesaler turned to the Chicago Crime Commission for help against competition that was undercutting prices by using phony cigarette tax stamps, thereby not paying the tax. A Commission investigation found the Capone mob in the tobacco business and reported the findings to Governor Stevenson.  On May 3^rd, the first guilty verdict was handed down by a criminal court against Max Dolgin. Twenty-two people went on trial at a later date for tax-stamp fraud.

1955: The Commission's rigorous investigations exposed an auto towing racket that revealed collusion among police officers, towers, and garages. As a result, the Commissioner of Police created a new bureau, headed by a police captain, to eliminate the abuses.

1957: The Commission led the fight at a closed session of the Illinois State Legislature to defeat legislation that, if enacted, would have seriously hampered law enforcement. Senate Bill #1389, which would have legalized pari-mutuel betting on Jai Alai, opened the door to other forms of legalized gambling, and would have added to an already increasing crime problem. House Bill #215 would have hindered police work, virtually eliminated questioning of suspects in murder, kidnapping, and other serious crimes, prevented opportunity for victims to view and identify suspects, and aided only the criminal element.

1960: Studies by the Commission of organized crime operations throughout the nation were turned over to federal prosecution and investigative agencies, providing substantial assistance in fighting syndicate operations. Commission staff members played important roles in the work of both the Kefauver and McClelkin Committees investigating organized crime and rackets. Much of the evidence obtained at hearings of these committees was predicated on data furnished by the Commission.

1963: The Commission announced it was solidly and unqualifiedly behind the police reform program of Chicago Police Superintendant O.W. Wilson.  The Commission and Mr. Wilson also were opposed to House Bill 298, which would sanction police unions. The potential danger in such a bill was the opportunity it could provide for union strikes by the police and the consequent complete break-down of law enforcement.

1966: In its continued attack on organized crime, the Commission announced a seven-point legislative program designed to bolster police and prosecution officials in their attempt to improve law enforcement.

1968: The Commission focused public attention on organized crime. In October 1967, a 20-page booklet entitled, "The Chicago Crime Commission Spotlight on Organized Crime - The Chicago Syndicate," was prepared and given wide distribution. Listed in this publication were 214 individuals with criminal syndicate affiliations or associations and 42 business firms having direct or indirect connections with crime syndicate figures.

1971: The Commission and the Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute released “A Study of Organized Crime in Illinois .”  The six month project studied the nature of organized crime in Illinois, its history, a theory of its operations, and its impact on the state.

1972: Operation Crime Call was set up to give the public an open line to help combat crime.  A special Commission phone number allowed a victim to report a crime without revealing his/her identity.

1973: A Commission study of the Cook County Department of Adult Probation charged the agency in failing to protect the public from criminals by not properly supervising its 17,000 probationers. The study reported that probation officers were in short supply, under-trained, overworked, and often not qualified. The report charged that probation officers had little idea of what was going on in the lives of the convicted criminals under their supervision.

1979: The Commission played an active role in shaping criminal justice legislation in the 81^st General Assembly. The Commission focused on three areas in need of reform:  the right of the state to demand a jury trial, the abuse of continuances, and the availability of electronic surveillance to law-enforcement officials in Illinois.

1984: The Commission sponsored a Gang Crimes Training Seminar and Workshop in which training sessions were held on gang identification and structure, intelligence and investigative techniques, and legal issues for prosecutors. The conference was a proactive measure to curb the spread of gangs throughout Cook County. The Commission hoped to assist communities in controlling and suppressing gangs before they gained a foothold in the community.

1985: The Commission launched a full-scale project to evaluate criminal court judges who were seeking re-election. The Commission's research and recommendations offered citizens a unique management tool to measure judicial performance  objectively . It served as a valuable and urgently needed public service to help ensure that only qualified judges serve on the bench.

1987: The Commission studied the processing of drug cases in the preliminary hearing courts. Official court sheets revealed that a large number of felony narcotic charges were dismissed for one of four unacceptable reasons:  the arresting officer was not present in court, the defendant failed to appear and an arrest warrant was never issued, the crime lab report was unavailable, or the state dismissed the case for no cited reason.  Many recommendations were presented to various public officials and many were implemented.

1988: A seminar was held in Washington, D.C., on organized crime and drug enforcement by the FBI, DEA, the National Association of Citizens Crime Commissions and the Commission.

1989:  Commission leaders provided written information and oral testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Sub-Committee on Criminal Justice, urging Congress to support the retention of federal Organized Crime Strike Forces throughout the United States.

1990: The Commission vehemently opposed the appointment of self-admitted organized crime associate John Serpico as the Chairman of the Chicago Port Authority.

1991: The Chicago Police Department studied the Commission's recommendations regarding community policing. The result was a five-year effort of the Department to fully adapt what is now referred to as Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS). Also, in conjunction with Fox TV, the Commission started airing a segment called "Chicago's Most Wanted."

1992: In response to the issue of gambling,  the Commission published the Analysis of Key Issues Involved in the Proposed Chicago Casino Gambling Project.

1994: The Partners in Safety Network, comprising more than 300 community groups, was established to help concerned citizens reduce crime.

1995: The Commission released Gangs: Public Enemy Number One. More than 30,000 copies were distributed. The Commission co-sponsored the National Summit of Urban Coalitions for Public Safety & Violence Prevention. After holding focus groups on community-based crime problems, the Commission established training workshops, programs, and resource guides on the issues of crime-breeding properties, youth alternatives to crime, gang awareness, and small-business crime concerns.

1996: After working with key officials in the criminal justice system, the Commission released Making Room For Justice: New Priorities For The Criminal Justice System.

1997: The Commission filed an Amicus Curiae brief supporting the City of Chicago asking the Federal Court for the Northern District of Illinois to minimize the provisions of the 1983 Consent Decree limiting the Chicago Police Department's ability to investigate organized crime, street gangs, and terrorists. A 120-page report, The New Faces of Organized Crime was released. This report on the Commission's two-year investigation redefined organized crime and for the first time in America, included new organized crime ethnic groups as a threat along with the traditional Mob. The Commission formed the Business Assistance Network comprised of 150 local chambers of commerce.

1998: The first "Campus Gambling Conference" in the Chicago area was co-sponsored by the Commission, DePaul University and the Illinois Attorney General's Office. The Commission's Community Youth Program, a pilot for redirecting first-time juvenile offenders, was developed by the Commission and its many partners, including the Chicago Police, Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Chicago Public Schools, DCFS, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago and Allstate Insurance Company.

1999: The Commission released the 90-page Girls Behind the Boys: Girls in Gangs report and an Analysis of Video Gaming report.  The Commission testified before the Cook County Board’s Committee on Courts for the 21^st Century to advocate for an increase in the number of courts and judges.  It also hosted a three-day National Association of Citizens Crime Commissions meeting, a Russian Organized Crime & Money Laundering Conference, and a Campus Gambling Conference.

2000: The Commission released a special Gun Violence report covering 25 facets related to gun violence in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The Commission was an active partner in the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Prevent Violence Chicago effort, the State’s Attorney of Cook County’s Commission on Juvenile Competency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' LPS Program designed to introduce high school students to careers in law enforcement and criminal justice. The Commission released a list of more than 15 corporate sponsors of Web pages of Chicago’s most violent street gangs. It called upon to exercise greater responsibility in choosing where to spend their advertising dollars and those organizations whom to associate their name.  Also, the Commission highlighted 30 fugitives on the televised Chicago’s Most Wanted program resulting in the capture of five fugitives. The Commission reviewed the needs of five Cook County Court facilities and provided resulting recommendations in its testimony to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, while also calling for the formation of a task force on the Re-codification of the Illinois Criminal Laws. The Commission also continued its efforts to combat any organized crime involvement in the proposed casino in Rosemont.

2001: The Commission began its Community Youth Program, a pilot program to redirect first-time juvenile offenders.  A conference on Anti-Terrorism, Threat Assessment and Vulnerability Analysis for High Rise Structures was held. The Commission explored and reported on the ease with which terrorists or other criminals might be able to secure false identification over the Internet. The Commission’s Chief Investigator researched the state of Homicide Investigation in Cook County, which resulted in a number of recommendations. In addition, the Commission’s Chief Investigator provided detailed testimony and information to the Illinois Gaming Board regarding questionable associations of individuals involved in the proposed Emerald Casino deal. The Commission inventoried and estimated the deterioration of its 82-year collection of valuable organized crime records, in order to explore options for digitizing the collection.

2002: The Commission was selected to be the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Community Engagement Partner. PSN is a gun violence-reduction program involving numerous law enforcement and criminal justice partners. The CCC’s Community Youth Program provided data to the Chicago Police on the assessment and service linkage of first time offenders. The CCC also became the lead agency in piloting the Neighborhood Restorative Justice Mediation Program in Cook County, a conflict resolution program providing an alternative to juvenile court. The CCC’s Administration of Justice Committee reviewed the Report of the Governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment – Recommendations Only and released its endorsement of most of its content and its comments on other items. The CCC held a conference for finance–related industries on cyber crime.

2003: The Commission formed the first inclusive task force addressing child exploitation – the Coalition Against the Exploitation, Prostitution and Trafficking of Children. The CCC joined the Illinois Integrated Justice Information System Implementation Board and committees in an effort to enhance statewide information sharing and quality between law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. A Presentation on Financial Statement Fraud, a seminar on Protection From Business Fraud and a presentation on Espionage & Conspiracy: Robert Hanssen were held. The CCC met with the Chairman and Administrator of the Illinois Gaming board to express its concerns regarding the Emerald Casino Settlement Agreement.

2004: The Community Youth Program Process Evaluation was completed, and Loyola University agreed to work on the outcomes of that evaluation.  A one-day conference for 300 individuals was held on Child Prostitution and Exploitation. Research began on a Gangs in the Chicago Metropolitan Area report.  The Commission and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office worked together on RAV2 – Reduce Animal Violence, Reduce All Violence. RAV2 educates criminal-justice and law-enforcement personnel on the links between human violence and animal cruelty and on new animal cruelty legislation that may (when appropriately used) be a tool to confront gangs, guns, and drugs. Gang Education Training was provided to students from 20 Chicago schools and to other agencies. Again, the Commission provided testimony to the Illinois Gaming Board regarding the Emerald Casino situation. How to Avoid Identity Theft recommendations were disseminatedthrough the Commission’s Action Alert Newsletter while Avoiding Employee Theft was detailed for more than 200 chambers of commerce through the Commission’s Business Assistance Bulletin.