Overview
Our R&A department is responsible for conducting research on several criminal justice topics that pertain to the Commission's mission and interests. Its premise is twofold in that it serves as the primary research entity for the organization while concurrently serving as a conduit for the public for criminal justice inquiries.
The Chicago Crime Commission's R&A department annually undertakes a multitude of research projects that provide a factual and empirical basis for any stance the Board of Directors and our Executive Staff wish to publicly take on a particular criminal justice issue.
Some of the research topics our R&A department has undertaken within the past year include:
- Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, aka "El Chapo", and the Sinaloa Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)
- SB 1739: Chicago Casino Development Authority Act
- HB 1: Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act
- Police numbers vs. Crime rates
- Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Law (RICO)
The R&A department is responsible for carefully scrutinizing proposed policies, whether it be State legislation from the Illinois General Assembly, or a Chicago City or Cook County ordinance. The policies we assess often pertain to gangs, gaming, and narcotics, and the means they often provide for organized crime to prevail.
The R&A department is also responsible for applying an equal level of scrutiny when evaluating the effectiveness of anti-gang and violence prevention initiatives. Several initiatives are currently under review, and the Commission will ultimately rely heavily on the R&A department for referrals to empirically effective initiatives for collaborative and partnership opportunities. If your organization is interested in such an opportunity, please contact us and your program will be submitted for review.
External Research
The Chicago Crime Commission's R&A department serves as a resource for the public by providing synthesized information that is often inaccessible or too difficult to obtain. By doing so, the public is better equipped to understand complex criminal justice issues that matter to them and prompt them to take a more active role in their communities.
One way this is done is by compiling stories from around the country and providing them under the News of Interest section of our website, where one can find news articles or reports on the Sinaloa DTO or Chicago Gangland news. These pages are frequently updated to provide the most up-to-date information for your disposal. Compiling these articles also help the R&A department monitor the nature of these particular criminal justice issues, and they often serve as part the department's analytical foundation when it supplements the development of our publications.
The R&A department also collaborates extensively with law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to provide information for public consumption. For example,
The Gang Book is the result of input and assistance from multiple Chicago and Cook County criminal justice entities. Although it is an excellent tool for law enforcement, it is also publicly accessible through several Chicago Public Libraries and meant to inform both the mildly curious and passionate activist about the gang problem in Chicago.
The Chicago Crime Commission's R&A department is available for public requests from scholars, writers, or the media. If you are interested in a particular criminal justice topic and are looking to acquire more information on it, please write, please contact us with signed and formalized request. Please include the topic of interest and the reason for your research. The R&A department will respond as soon as possible regarding the feasibility of your request and with an approximate processing time.