ABC7 explores Cook County Sheriff’s operation on Magnificent Mile to decrease crime in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago’s Magnificent Mile features virtually every name brand retail store you can think of.

Hidden within Water Tower Place is an operation run by the Cook County sheriff’s office. Its primary goal is to analyze and minimize incidents of retail theft, robberies, and burglaries.

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Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart took ABC7 behind closed doors to see how a new command post is helping build confidence among businesses and shoppers.

“They’re happy to see us here, and we’re happy to make a difference,” said Cook County Sheriff’s Police Commander Michael Ware.

Walking down the Mag Mile or through River North, you might notice a more visible law enforcement presence.

Sheriff Ware emphasized the significance of reducing crime rates and ensuring the safety of visitors and residents, especially during the holiday shopping season when people frequent the area.

Taking a proactive approach, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office is addressing retail theft directly. Although violent crimes have historically garnered more attention, Sheriff Dart recognized the growing issue of vacant retail spaces and decided to address it.

“This area is the economic engine for the city of Chicago. It just is. And there’s also hard data that was showing the vacancy rate was going in the wrong direction. And then from talking to the business owners, there was fear,” Dart said. “And so, this was very critical. It was at a crisis point.”

Part of the strategy is simply showing a greater presence, but for each officer you see on the streets, there are more behind the scenes tracking reported crimes, analyzing the layout of businesses and developing a network of communication.

“Building that community between us and law enforcement has been really spectacular,” said ISAIA Napoli General Manager Anthony Ollmann.

Ollmann is the general manager of a luxury clothing brand and says the collaboration is making a difference for his business and for shoppers.

“The customers are coming back and they’re saying, ‘This feels nice. It feels good.’ The biggest thing, I think, we’ve worked on the street was to create an environment where people feel comfortable leaving with bags,” Ollmann said.

“It’s downtown. You know, a lot could happen. Somebody could just walk past. They could snatch this now. It does make me feel better to know that the sheriff’s like right there,” said shopper Takiyah Robinson.

From January to November of this year, Dart said, they have seen a 32% drop in crimes involving retailers along the Mag Mile and in River North compared to the same time period last year.

“We’re making tons and tons of arrests down here. Tons of arrests, getting guns off of people in this area as well. But the big thing was to build that confidence in the business community that we are taking this really seriously,” Dart said.

Dart said they are even following up with retailers once an arrest makes its way to the courts, helping businesses see cases through in an effort to make sure offenders are held accountable.