(Lake County, IL) Today, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart provided his annual report to the Law & Judicial Committee of the Lake County Board. Each year, since 2020, Rinehart has provided crime statistics to the Committee while also detailing the office’s new programs and budgetary needs. Rinehart also used the opportunity to discuss the ways in which the SAFE-T Act permits prosecutors to hold dangerous offenders prior to trial.
“With increased law enforcement resources, innovative community programs, and expanded victim support, the Lake County justice and safety system is working together to prevent crime and hold offenders accountable. We are seeing a significant decrease in violent crime across all communities even as we strive to prevent every incident,” Rinehart said this morning at the committee’s public hearing.
Rinehart presented data compiled from law enforcement agencies that showed a 55% decrease in homicides between 2022 and 2023. Rinehart explained that, unfortunately, 2022 involved four mass casualty events – including the Highland Park parade shooting which claimed seven lives and three domestic violence tragedies which led to the murder of eight family members of the three offenders.
In 2023, there were 24 homicides in Lake County which was the lowest total in at least seven years. As of July 30, 2024, there have been 10 homicides in Lake County in 2024– a 29% decrease from the county’s total at this point on July 30, 2023. But Rinehart added, “This reduction is not enough. Our goal is to be a county that reaches zero homicides.”
Law enforcement agencies also reported to the State’s Attorneys’ Office that there had been a 44% reduction in non-fatal, firearm injuries between 2022 and 2023, in Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion.
Rinehart emphasized the important work of law enforcement and the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative. “Clearance rates are moving up because of the hard work of law enforcement and the increased use of technology in all parts of the justice system. Our forensic cyber lab continues to increase its capabilities due to a grant we secured in 2021. This allows us to search the phones of shooters, armed robbers, and sex offenders. I believe this is one of the reasons why these crimes are decreasing.”
State’s Attorney Rinehart also addressed the ongoing work of the office to execute a comprehensive strategy with respect to the opioid crisis. “I am proud of the work of the Lake County Opioid Initiative, the Health Department, and community partners like NIRCO to save lives with expanded treatment and the implementation of harm reduction strategies. These heroes on the front lines of helping others. At the same time, since 2022, we have increased law enforcement training regarding the investigation of opioid poisoning deaths, and we are working with the Lake County Coroner, Jennifer Banek, to collect more evidence to hold accountable drug dealers who sell the drugs that is causing so much death.”
Rinehart ended his presentation by distribution preliminary data regarding the SAFE-T Act. The SAFE-T Act went into effect on September 18, 2023. Rinehart explained that, despite misinformation related to the 2022 elections, the SAFE-T Act had led to more dangerous offenders being held than the cash system.
“The new system lets us hold the most dangerous offenders without having to worry about them posting cash. Under the new system, our outstanding prosecutors are successfully detaining sex offenders, domestic abusers, and weapon offenders – and those offenders are staying in the jail at much higher percentages than the cash system.”
The SAFE-T Act preliminary data can be found here.
