Overview

• Inspector General Deborah Witzburg found that police have no reliable method to identify all gun offenders mandated to register under the 2013 ordinance.
• The report revealed the public registry omits eligible individuals while still listing those whose registration periods have expired.
• Chicago’s Department of Law has rarely imposed penalties on offenders who fail to register despite having the authority to do so.
• The Chicago Police Department plans to revamp public registry data, update internal directives and forms, and boost staffing in the registration unit.
• The department is deploying OffenderWatch software to automate offender notifications and enhance compliance tracking.