Author: Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Illinois Retail Merchants Association CEO Rob Karr isn’t surprised by the findings of a new study that concludes that local consumers now overwhelmingly prefer online shopping as a way of steering clear of the still rising retail theft crime scene. With data showing shoplifting crimes across Chicago jumped by nearly 50%…

(The Center Square) – American Civil Liberties Union Policy Director Ed Yohnka says the growing number of legal settlements that Chicago taxpayers are being forced to pay out stemming from police misconduct cases calls for immediate action. “The level and the number of payouts that Chicago taxpayers underwrite each year for officer misconduct, officer abuse,…

(The Center Square) – Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski is warning what falling Illinois state test scores could spell for the state moving forward. Data recently analyzed by the Illinois State Board of Education shows that more than 7 in 10 Cook County public students now fall below grade level in English based on their 2023-24…

(The Center Square) – Chicago activist Tio Hardiman is preaching unity in the battle to overcome the city’s rising crime numbers after new data reveals violent crime episodes though October jumped to their second highest level over the last five years. Of the 29,260 violent crimes reported over the last 12 months, Chicago Police Department…

(The Center Square) – With the city of Chicago ranking as one of the most stressful places to live in the country in a new WalletHub survey, Illinois state Rep. Chris Miller says there’s a good reason why so many area residents feel the malaise that they do. “J.B. Pritzker has destroyed safety and security…