Letter to State's Attorney Alvarez, Sheriff Dart, and Superintendent McCarthy

Letter

Anita Alvarez

State's Attorney

Cook County State's Attorney Office

50 W. Washington St.

Chicago, IL 60602

Thomas Dart

Sheriff

Cook County Sheriff's Office

50 W. Washington St.

Chicago, IL 60602

Garry McCarthy

Superintendent

Chicago Police Department

3510 South Michigan Avenue

Chicago, IL 60653

Dear State's Attorney Alvarez, Sheriff Dart, and Superintendent McCarthy:

Given the growing problem of apprehending international fugitives wanted for committing serious crimes in Illinois, I want to work with you to prepare an effective response. We need to develop a plan to address what has become an unacceptable lack of enforcement.

According to the ongoing series in the Chicago Tribune, data from the U.S. Department of Justice show that the number of international fugitives has generally grown every year for the past 10 years. In particular, the large number of suspects fleeing from northern Illinois is deeply troubling. It appears that neither local nor federal law enforcement have been able to keep up with this increase in fugitives.

Because of the obvious need to improve the apprehension of these dangerous suspects, it is critical for your agencies to help identify the source of the problem and work in collaboration with each other and with the federal authorities to address it. I have introduced legislation in the past to address the fugitive issue, and I am prepared to offer you any assistance you may need to deal with this issue.

As you are probably aware, the Tribune has identified more than 60 suspects charged with crimes such as murder, rape, and other violent offenses who have fled to Mexico, and data from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that 129 suspects have fled Illinois across the border and remain at large. These numbers are unacceptably high. Worse, the Tribune's description of specific cases involving murder and sexual assault suspects suggests that criminal defendants attempting to flee the U.S. have few obstacles to stop them. Once outside of the U.S., it seems that too little is done to extradite them back to the U.S.

Because you are on the front lines of this enforcement challenge, I would like to hear more from you on the nature and cause of this problem. I would also appreciate your input as to how the apprehension and extradition of fugitives can be significantly improved.

Reports indicate that the lack of apprehension of fugitives may stem partly from the lack of coordination and information-sharing between local, federal, and international law enforcement agencies. For example, the Tribune indicates that only two of the 129 fugitives known to DOJ were cross-listed by Interpol. Please provide your perspective on the effectiveness of current information-sharing efforts. In addition, I am all too aware of the lack of resources available for our law enforcement agencies at this time due to budget challenges and recognize that this may pose challenges to enforcement efforts. If additional resources are needed, please identify them.

As I am sure you would agree, our law enforcement agencies must ensure that dangerous fugitives are brought to justice in Illinois and that other suspects clearly understand that they cannot flee our borders without being caught. I am ready to use all available resources to facilitate your action plan. To make sure that all efforts are coordinated, I will convene a meeting of relevant state and federal law enforcement agencies, including your agencies and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Thank you, and I look forward to your responses.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin

United States Senator

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