CHICAGO — A person has been charged with robbing a South Aspect grocery retailer whereas on digital monitoring for a pending housebreaking case. Timothy Bowden, 28, robbed the shop whereas having fun with the “important motion” privileges bestowed upon digital monitoring detainees by the SAFE-T Act, in accordance with the sheriff’s workplace.
“Important motion” permits individuals outfitted with ankle displays to spend two days per week exterior their properties, purportedly to finish “important” actions like making use of for jobs, grocery purchasing, and going to medical appointments. Aggravated theft is often not thought of an accepted “important” exercise.
Final Monday afternoon, Chicago police responded to a theft at La Feria grocery retailer, 9704 South Business, in South Deering. A 46-year-old retailer worker instructed officers the person handed her a holdup be aware that mentioned, “Give me the $ I gotta gun.” After getting money, the robber ran from the shop.
In response to his CPD arrest report, cops discovered Bowden a couple of block away, sporting garments just like the robber’s. The shop’s cashier confirmed that he was the robber.
Choose Caroline Glennon-Goodman detained Bowden on a cost of aggravated theft. In response to her detention order, the shop worker instructed police that Bowden had robbed the shop one other time, too, however he’s solely charged with final week’s theft.
Bowden was arrested on a housebreaking cost in September 2023 and had been on digital monitoring since July, in accordance with the Cook dinner County sheriff’s workplace.
Regardless that individuals on “important motion” can take pleasure in two days per week exterior their properties, these days are nonetheless utilized towards any jail sentence they obtain upon conviction.
Below Cook dinner County’s 2025 price range, operational management of the county’s main digital monitoring program is slated to switch from the sheriff’s workplace to the county court docket system, headed by Chief Choose Timothy Evans. Cook dinner County Sheriff Tom Dart, who has usually voiced his issues about judges inserting violent criminals on digital monitoring, has been attempting to unload this system from his workplace for years.
In response to Dart’s workplace, shifting the digital monitoring program to the courts will align the county with nationwide norms. Cook dinner County has the one sheriff’s workplace within the nation that operates a pre-trial digital monitoring program, a Dart spokesperson mentioned.
The present timeline requires the sheriff’s workplace to cease accepting new digital monitoring individuals by April 1, in accordance with Dart’s workplace. All digital monitoring placements after that date will go on a court-operated system.
Dart’s spokesperson mentioned his workplace will proceed to watch all individuals within the sheriff’s program till their legal instances conclude or a choose releases them from digital monitoring.
The spokesperson mentioned final month that conversations between the sheriff’s workplace, Evans’ workplace, and different officers had been “ongoing,” and Dart’s crew was working to “guarantee a secure and environment friendly transition starting April 1.”
Unique reporting you’ll see nowhere else, paid for by our readers. Click on right here to assist our work.
