If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. r- l - f 121885 ~ U.S. Dep'lrtment of Justice \ National Institute of Justice ThiS document has been reproduced exactly as received from the \ person or organization onglnatlng It POints of view or opInions stated -~ in this document are those of the authors and do not necessanly represent the oHlclal position or policies of the National Institute of r -- Justice Permission to reproduce thiS copynghted matenal has been r granted by '~ Chicago Cri'11e ~ornmission to the National Cnmlnal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system reqUIres permis­ .. '-." Sion of the copynght owner, .;;, ~. -.3 ;~ .. , "\J---"" -- -,- ;; I' ,,-I, '. -.- .-::.,-...,:.."~-.~ ...... ', _ .... "I' I~ J~~ -=-' .-'. <,. ':41'_rt: .:...,.,... "",'-'. -... -, J, .. ' -"..?-' fA - WAF If. " . ":;;r~ -" --------_ ..... _-_ ....... · i !' -------------70thAnniversaryChicago'Criiru3'Cbmmission------------- , " : ". President's Message am wrapping up my time as President of the Contents I Commission. I have not seen us ,a,chieve all the things I :wanted at the out­ President's Message ...................... 2 set a few years ago, but I am excited about our present Purpose .............................. 3 and our future. John Jemilo is settling in and I believe Becoming a Member ..................... 4 can be the best Executive Director the Commission Executive Director's Report ................. 5 has had. Wesley S. Walton As the balance of this report indicates, the Commis­ 70 Years Service ...................... 6-7 sion is proceeding with a number of important initiatives. In addition, our plans for the future (to be carried forward Committees .......................... 8-9 by our next president, Mike Shaw) are on point for the challenges our society faces. Organized crime, political dereliction and corrup­ Commission Pictorial . 10-11 tion, and inner city crime are with us yet. We will always attack these. However, all of these have been overlaid by Expose on Drugs: the drug phenomenon. It has turned the bad dream of The National Drug Control Strategy . 12 crime into a nightmare. Enormous profits, collapsing so­ cial structure, an overcrowded and overused criminal jus­ Organized Crime Spotlight . 13 tice structure are all symptoms of the drug phenomenon. What is the solution? Increased allocation of finan­ Report Crime . 14 cial resources into law enforcement and education will help. Emphasis on personal responsibility and law en­ forcement taking aim at drug users as well as pushers Internship Program ..................... 15 may be a key approach. At the other end of the spectrum, should we decriminalize drugs? The analogy to Prohibi­ Staff ................................ 16 tion has been made. Prohibition gave a reason for or­ ganized c,rime to exist. When Prohibition ended, much of Contributors . 17-19 the overt effects of organized crime ended too. But drugs look different and decriminalization looks too fright­ Officers and Directors .................... 20 ening to be a viable solution. Pushing society away from drugs with law and edu­ cation still looks like the best approach. The Com­ mission will keep a flexible attitude, but for now, sup­ ports this approach. Designed and Edited by David Hyman An aroused citizenry is essential for success in com­ bating this kind of an all pervasive problem. The Com­ mission has had a proud history of being a spearhead of private citizens fighting such wars. The Commission should playa key role in winning this war here in Chi­ cago. The time and dollars expended in this effort by the Commission will be well worth a successful conclusion to this anti-drug campaign. 2 __________________________________________________________________________ NCJRS FEB : j 1990 ACQUISITIONS WHAT IS THE CHICAGO CRIME COMMISSION? The Chicago Crime Commission is a nonpartisan volunteer organization founded in 1919 by a committee of the Chicago Association of Commerce. Its basic purpose is to act as an inde~ pendent investigative agency representative of the public interest in matters concerning the quality of criminal justice services provided to citizens in the greater Chicago area. Because membership and support for the Commission comes from concerned and reputable citizens, many of whom hold leading positions in the business community, the Commission does not rely on taxes or an affiliation with any government agency. For seventy years, the Commission has distinguished itself as a repository of the most comprehensive private records on crime and criminals. Daily, the commission acts as an expert source for law enforcement, the media, scholars, legislators, the judiciary, and businesses ... locally, nationally, even internationally. But the Commission does not function solely as a passive extension of the criminal justice system. Under the direction of its Board, President, and Executive Director, the Commission is actively involved with trying to correct inadequate laws and procedures; uncovering and pun~ ishing crime and corruption; and, encouraging all honest public officials to improve the quality of services provided by criminal justice agencies. ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES • Judicial evaluations • Operating an anonymous 24 hour "Report Crime" hotline • Surveying police procedures for handling criminal evidence • Forcing the expedition of old pendIng criminal cases • Position papers on various topics: gangs, prostitution, and gambling • Internship for college students • Focus on specific areas of the criminal justice system through the following Committees: Corrections, Courts, Legislative, Narcotics and Drug Abuse Preven­ tion, Organized Crime, Police and Urban Crime Prevention • Publication of "Who's Who in Organized Crime" The Commission also serves as one of the few existing conduits for an exchange of infor­ mation between the business world and law enforcement agencies. ~ __________________________________________________________________~3 --~-----~-----7Oth Anniversary Chicago Crime Commission -------------- MEMBERSHIP uccess of the Chicago Crime Commission depends • Cook County Jail tour largely on the quality of its membership. Through • Criminal Courts tour involvement and financial support, members provide S • Chicago Police Crime Lab tour expertise and influence to help formulate policy and legislative positions; structure campaigns to facilitate • Police Academy tour and observation of some needed changes in the criminal justice system; educate specialized aspects of training, i.e. riot control, the public; monitor research and assist in implementing firearms, counseling, and conflict resolution. resultant recommendations; actively solicit con­ • MEG or DEA briefings on drug traffic tributions; and, recruit additional members. • Cook County Sheriffs Department tour Membership in the commission is by invitation only. Naturally, there are also responsibilities of steward­ Nominees are sponsored by members, reviewed by the ship. Members are expected to attend quarterly member­ Membership Committee and then considered by the ship meetings and join one of the following Committees: Board of Directors. At the recommendation of the Mem­ Contributions bership Committee, members are re-appointed annually. Corrections Only an individual can be a Commission member; a com­ Courts pany cannot. Legislative There are distinct advantages of membership: Membership • Provides personal satisfaction of investing time Narcotics and Drug Abuse Prevention and resources where they positively effect the Organized Crime quality of life throughout the Chicago metro­ Police politan area. Program • Belong to a visible, prestigious organization that Urban Crime Prevention enjoys regular opportunities to share fellowship In addition, members are expected to commit a fair as well as work on special projects with business share of financial support to insure the productive future peers. of the Commission. • Allows members to obtain valuable information that protect.s their family, employees and busi­ * * * ness from crime and abuses of the criminal jus­ Membership is a very select and special relationship to the Chicago Crime Commission. Over time, members aspire to . tice system. greater involvement and responsibility. A hierarchy of CommIs­ • Stages opportunities for professional growth and sion involvement is represented below: public recognition. Life Members Past Presidents • Receive complimentary issues of the Commis­ President sion's Searchlight publication. Executive Committee Officers Membership also affords access to a wide variety of Board of Directors excursions inside the criminal justice system: Committee Chairpersons • Police Agency tour Committees General Membership • Coroners office and morgue tour 4 ________________________~----------------------- i<. iLf~g5 ---------------7Oth Anniversary Chicago Crime Commission ---------'------- Executive Director's Report n this annual report I would like to reflect on some of the I am also pleased to report that all the various commit­ past issues and activities of the Chicago Crime Commis­ tees of the Commission have conducted a number of meet­ Ision and to look towards the immediate and extended ings in the past year and have needs of the criminal justice system in our greater metropoli­ enjoyed some interesting pre­ tan area. sentations and discussion. All In January of 1988, Mr. Patrick Healy, Executive Director of the Committees are moving of the Crime Commission from