Watching the Detectives

Somehow, some way, the word “Chicago” has become synonymous with “crime.” I once met a clown in Paris (a literal clown, face paint and all) who, when told that I was from Chicago, replied, “Bad boys, bad boys, Al Capone! Ha, ha!”

Well, Bozo, Chi-town hasn’t come too far from the days of the Untouchables; we’ve still got mob bosses, corrupt cops, murderers, liars and thieves. And as the New Year breaks, Chicago’s criminal past marches on.

Here’s the rundown of hot topics burning up the headlines as we solider ahead into 2008.

1. The CPD. The cops took a beating last year. And according to some, they gave as good as they got. 2007 was the year that got us all shouting, “Police brutality!”

Now, Chicagoans are hoping for a turnaround. After Police Superintendent Philip J. Cline retired in 2007, Mayor Daley went on a quest for Chicago’s new top cop. That search ended when the City Council approved former FBI special agent Jody Weis for the job on Wednesday. It remains to be seen how Weis will affect the CPD.

This week also brought some developments in the Jon Burge case. Burge is a former Chicago police commander who has been accused of torturing suspects for decades.

Now, four of Burge’s alleged victims are getting their due—at least their monetary due. The City Council awarded them $19.8 million. However, Burge is still tooling around in Florida, funding his retirement with city money, leading some to think that justice has not been served.

2. The Gangs of Chicago. Last year marked the lowest number of homicides in Chicago since 1965; the year ended with a grand total of 442 murders.

Still, the New Year rang in the violence on January 1, when three people were gunned down in Logan Square. There is no statement yet as to whether this was a gang-related crime, but drugs were involved.

Another Logan Square resident lost his life on Monday—15-year-old Leonardo Otero, who was killed in a drive-by shooting. Police suspect that the shooting was gang-related. The residents have been buzzing lately about how to handle the issue, and what can be done to make the neighborhood a safer place.

The deaths must have stirred up something among the higher-ups, since Daley called for an earlier teen curfew on Tuesday.

This seems a step towards curbing violent crime, but we can only wait and see what will happen in Chicago’s fight against gangs.

Speaking of fighting gangs: Logan Square is one of the few sites in Chicago where the anti-violence group CeaseFire is still active.

Gov. Blagojevich cut funding for the program last summer, but a few neighborhoods have managed to keep the program alive through donations and other forms of funding. Still, CeaseFire is in danger, and Chicagoans are waiting to see if anyone steps in to save it.

3. The Newsmaker. In Chicago, criminal cases are the talk of the town. As Billy Flynn said so callously in the musical: “This is Chicago, kid. You can’t beat fresh blood on the walls.” To take it down a notch from Flynn’s flashy assertion: This is Chicago. You can’t beat human drama.

And the Drew Peterson case is the latest black and white and read all over saga in Chi-town. In case you don’t have access to the Internet, television, or magazines, Peterson is the former police sergeant whose wife, Stacy Peterson, has been missing since late October. Like Petersons of yore, the husband is a suspect—and a very visual one at that.

The case just keeps going, and everyone is wondering what the outcome will be.