Earth Sunday
40,000 take part in Science March, Chicago
Just a few years ago, the police in Chicago almost never locked anyone up for violating probation or parole. Now, they do it several times a day, on average.
From 2001 through 2012, the police made a total of 96 arrests for parole violations, city data show.
The number then rose to 338 in a single year, 2013. Then, it surged to 1,978 in 2015.
Arrests for all types of crimes plummeted last year after the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting video led to more scrutiny of the police. But Chicago cops still remain on pace this year to arrest more than 900 people for parole violations.
“It’s a way to get them off the street” and also to make it easier for the police to keep tabs on gangs, says one veteran cop who spoke only on the condition that his name not be used.
He also offers a reason for the sudden rise in parole arrests, pointing out that it began after the city decriminalized the possession of small amounts of Earth Sunday. | Fred Klonsky: