New Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke vows to lower 'war zone numbers' of Chicago violence

Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke vowed Monday to crack down on gun criminals as she takes the reins as the top law enforcement official in a county she says is “being overshadowed by crime.”

“We have unparalleled opportunities here. We have world-class universities, we have infrastructure. We even have a fresh water supply,” O’Neill Burke said after a ceremonial swearing-in as the county’s top prosecutor before hundreds of supporters at the Ivy Room in River North.

“We are primed to boom, but we are being overshadowed by crime right now,” she said. “While our crime rates are beginning to come down, the progress is not sufficient, particularly when it comes to gun violence.”

O’Neill Burke pointed to the recent killings of Chicago police officer Enrique Martinez and Oak Park Police Detective Allan Reddins among the "war zone numbers" of people being wounded by gun violence.

"Right now, we are having a mass shooting on a regular basis. We are becoming numb to the numbers. I don't want to become numb. I want to do something about it,” O’Neill Burke said to applause, promising “safety and a fair criminal justice system.”

"While we have a crime issue, we also have an abundance of hope and opportunity," she said, reiterating support for restorative justice programs along with a tougher stance on gun charges.

Monday technically marked O’Neill Burke’s second full day on the job. Over the weekend, she was sworn in from her home via Zoom by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham ahead of the midnight deadline heading into Sunday, Dec. 1 — that's the date state's attorney terms officially begin under county law.

The newly minted top prosecutor’s ceremonial oath-taking drew political heavyweights from across Illinois, including Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and a slew of Chicago City Council members, among other officials.

O’Neill Burke, 59, will forgo a $17,633-per-month pension as a former Illinois appellate court justice and a former assistant state’s attorney while serving as the county’s top prosecutor, which will pay $228,613.

Cunningham explained why her longtime friend “would leave the comfort of her position to take one which is arguably lower in the hierarchical structure of things.”

“She did that because she wants a better criminal justice system for the people of Cook County, for our families, for our children and for all of us,” Cunningham said.

Four of the county’s previous top prosecutors attended the swearing-in, including former Mayor Richard M. Daley, Jack O’Malley, Dick Devine and Anita Alvarez — but not O’Neill Burke’s polarizing predecessor, Kim Foxx, who couldn’t be reached for comment.

Also conspicuously absent from the 25-minute speaking program was Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the powerful county chair of the Democratic Party. Preckwinkle backed O’Neill Burke’s opponent in a hotly contested primary that wasn’t decided until two weeks after the election in March.

Preckwinkle was set to attend a reception for O’Neill Burke later Monday, according to a spokesperson, who said it was a scheduling issue, not a political snub. Several other county officials were sworn in Monday at separate locations.

Preckwinkle has met with O’Neill Burke since the former Illinois appellate court justice eked out victory over the party’s slated candidate, Clayton Harris, by fewer than 1,600 votes in the Democratic primary. O’Neill Burke easily dispatched Republican Bob Fioretti with about 61% of the vote in last month’s general election.

O’Neill Burke called the state’s assault weapons ban — which is being challenged in a downstate federal court — a top tool to address Chicago gun violence.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the appellate courts are going to uphold our ban,” O’Neill Burke said. “Starting today, we are treating the possession of these weapons with the seriousness they demand.”

Her first policy directive calls for prosecutors to seek detention for “every detainable felony offense where an offender used or possessed a firearm equipped with an extended magazine, drum magazine, automatic switch, or used a ghost gun or defaced firearm.”

The county also will seek detention for “any domestic violence-related, stalking or sex offense where the offender used or possessed a weapon" as well as "any detainable felony offense that is committed on public transportation," among other cases, O’Neill Burke’s office said in a statement.

Under the SAFE-T Act that has abolished cash bail in Illinois, it’s up to judges whether to jail a person ahead of trial, if prosecutors request it. Defendants are unlikely to be jailed on weapons possession charges unless they face other aggravating felony charges.

Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said O'Neill Burke's “plan to crack down on offenders who use these dangerous weapons on our streets will help keep people safer in every neighborhood.”

Contributing: Matthew Hendrickson