(The Center Square) – Illinois’ new crime data law is drawing mixed reactions, with supporters calling it a step toward transparency while critics question whether it will meaningfully reduce violence.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed House Bill 1710, requiring the Illinois State Police to publish more detailed reports on homicides and gun-related assaults.
“This is a monumental step toward bringing transparency and accountability to homicide investigations across the state. Gun violence devastates families and communities, and justice should never be reduced to manipulated statistics,” stated Live Free Illinois, a social justice non profit organization, on social media.
Backers argue the measure will help lawmakers and the public better understand crime trends, but gun rights advocates see troubling motives behind the bill.
John Boch, executive director of Guns Save Life, argued the measure shows little real intent from lawmakers to confront Chicago’s crime problem.
“I think it’s more likely to be used against the police, especially in Chicago where maybe 10% to 15% of serious crimes are solved,” Boch said. “For instance, 23% of homicides are charged in Chicago, 6% of shootings lead to an arrest. That’s abysmally low, and that’s one of the reasons there is so much crime up there—it’s essentially crime without consequences. I think they’re looking to continue to defund the police and delegitimize the police.”
Under the new law, the Illinois State Police will be required to submit all homicide data to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, which must then compile and publish the information on a quarterly basis. As a result, gun-related homicides in the state will become more visible to the public, researchers, and policymakers, providing a clearer picture of firearm-related violence.
Boch added that the real driver of violence isn’t firearms but gangs.
“It’s gang violence, not gun violence,” Boch said. “That’s a key takeaway not a lot of people think about. It’s the gangs driving 90% of the crime in Chicago.”
According to Former Lemont police chief Marc Maton, speaking on behalf of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the new reporting system will not change how local departments internally track homicides but could make statewide information more useful to researchers and policymakers. Maton explained the data will allow officials to compare urban and rural areas and “get a handle on how many unsolved homicides are out there.”
Asked whether HB 1710 could lead cities to impose tougher gun rules, Boch said that scenario is unlikely.
“That’s not possible in Illinois,” Boch said. “The Concealed Carry Act greatly curtailed the ability of cities to enact gun control legislation after a short window. So it’s very unlikely to happen—and if it did, it would probably be challenged in court successfully in a fairly short period of time.”
Maton said his group is neutral on the new law after raising initial concerns about how the data would be reported
“Our original concern was that the bill required local departments to post data on their own websites, and most agencies don’t have a webmaster or the ability to keep a site regularly updated,” said Maton. “We weren’t opposed to the data itself, but we wanted to ensure the state police handled collection and had a process in place, especially since they had just reprogrammed their entire reporting system.”
Maton said the law will not change how local departments record homicides but will make statewide data more useful.
“There might be additional information now available to the state and researchers as they add these categories,” Maton said.
