Cook County's top prosecutor questions safety of electronic monitoring under chief judge

Cook County’s top prosecutor says she does not believe the chief judge can safely administer electronic monitoring and has instructed her lawyers to object every time it is imposed.

Judges can still order electronic monitoring despite the objections, but State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said she believes “this is a serious threat to public safety and we must make that clear on the record.”

Chief Cook County Judge Timothy Evans’ office had no immediate comment.

Until last week, the program had been run by the sheriff’s office but it was transferred to the Adult Probation Department, under Evans, after Sheriff Tom Dart said he could no longer safely oversee the program.

Questions remain over who arrests violators and how extra staff will be funded.

Unlike members of the sheriff’s office, Evans’ probation officers are not sworn law enforcement and cannot make arrests. If a probation officer were to come across a violation, they would need to call local law enforcement to make the arrest, according to county officials.

O’Neill Burke also pointed out that the probation department does not have “sufficient properly trained staff to monitor individuals ordered to electronic monitoring instead of detention.”

Evans’ office has acknowledged it will need more than 150 new hires, new office space, additional training and more resources to run the expanded operation.

To read the full report, visit chicago.suntimes.com.