Today on our show we feature an interview with Dr. Dave Olsen who is the Co-director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy and Practice and a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Loyola University Chicago. Today we discuss a research brief he published in July of this y ear titled "Arrests in Illinois for Illegal Possession of a Firearm, Examining the Characteristics and Trends in Arrests for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Within the Context of Crime Involving Guns."

Olsen's research lays bear the propaganda that the Illinois General Assembly uses through the naming of their bills to drive the public's fear of crime and exploit it to increase sentences for non-violent crime. The research also details how despite the rhetoric around gun possession and the attempts by Mayor Lightfoot, Superintendent David Brown, and Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara to equate gun possession as a violent crime very few of those arrested with gun possession are charged with an associated violent crime. Almost 90% of those that are arrested for possession with a felony conviction in their history actually have been convicted of a non-violent offense, mostly drug related.

Olsen also details that despite all the hype by politicians trying to exploit the violence in Chicago under Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's time in office the sentences for possession have actually be longer than they have be throughout the rest of the state. This goes against all the reporting you see in the media and all the bloviating you hear from Alderpeople like Raymond Lopez (15), Nick Sposato (38), and Anthony Napolitano (41). You can also count in this group politician want to be Paul Vallas and Bob Fioretti. There is never a violent event that any of these people will not try to exploit.
Video from today's show