Organized criminal groups are exploiting the vulnerabilities and diversities of Chicago suburbs, targeting luxury goods and services like vehicle dealerships, high-end retail stores, affluent residential areas, hotels and minimally-secured multi-housing units. Crime analysts who support investigative operations, like sworn personnel, struggled to mitigate challenges beyond their control. These limitations included the scope and capabilities of record management databases, the availability of skilled personnel or financial resources, and the ways an analyst can contribute to support administrative and operational goals. Fortunately, analysts are uniquely skilled in working through many of these challenges. In response to spill-over crime from the Chicago-based offenders, suburban analysts identified problems for small and medium-sized agencies and recognized a more cohesive approach was needed to thwart this new "gold rush." In partnership with officers, administrators, Chicago PD and federal agencies, suburban analysts have benefitted from three effective strategies: Advocate for soliciting an analyst's perspective in strategic decision making, cultivate working groups and networks where analysts and county-wide detectives collaborate, and support the expansion of the multi-jurisdictional task forces. The newly formed DuPage M.E.R.I.T. is one such success story.

The presentation will also provide case studies of three different crime types regularly affecting suburban agencies: As mentioned, much of the problem stems from organized Chicago-based offenders who habitually exploit suburban economic centers. Gang members have been targeting high-end car dealerships with burglary and vehicle thefts since before 2017. A standing task force led by two suburban agencies has been able to partner with Chicago PD and compile a large amount of resources, including helicopters, to target the entire gang network. Another financial enterprise that is exploited is organized retail theft incidents at large retail stores and malls using offender swarming, offenders selecting specific items, and planned getaways to then resell these stolen goods through social media marketplaces. Catalytic converter thefts are a national problem everyone is facing, but with the sheer number of municipalities in the Chicago area, detective groups and a new task force have banded together to share resources that go after thefts, buyers, and scrappers.

This class is restricted to Law Enforcement only (you MUST register using an agency email address. Personal email addresses will be rejected).

This class will NOT be recorded.