State's Attorney's crisis transcends politics, must be dealt with immediately

America has been watching thze various Law & Order television shows for 19 years. In TV's portrayal of New York City's counterpart to our own Cook County State's Attorney's Office, police solve crimes efficiently, often using computers, and prosecutors convict defendants more than 90% of the time, always within a TV hour. Exposed to this level of efficiency several hours weekly right in our living rooms, we have come to expect the same results in the reality of local crime fighting.

            Yet at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, staff are working with index cards; printing out e-mails instead of sending them electronically; working at tables because there are not enough desks, let alone enough computers; and using personal cell phones because there are not enough office phones. Cases are not resolved in an hour, but in years. The office is geared to deal with lawyers like Abe Lincoln, not Jack McCoy.

            And in this most political of cities, politicians are quick to point the finger—at each other. Recently defeated State's Attorney candidate Tom Allen faults the office’s current management and told a Gazette reporter that management includes Anita Alvarez, the Democratic nominee for State's Attorney. Alvarez points the finger at overall financial problems in Cook County government under the Cook County Board, of which her Republican opponent, Tony Peraica, is a member. Peraica points the finger back at the State's Attorney's office’s management, blaming waste and duplicative jobs.

            Enough with the finger pointing. This one should transcend politics, folks. Protecting us from criminals is not a Democratic, Republican, State's Attorney, or County Board issue. It is an issue that poll after poll shows the public places high on its priority list.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office, under both its current and future management, should make technological upgrades the number one priority. The Cook County Board should do so as well. Both should work together to see if money in the current year's State's Attorney's budget earmarked for other uses can be shifted to technology—now. Next year, technological upgrades should be a high priority in the Cook County budget. Both should seek other sources of funding, whether state, federal, or private.

It is time for action, not political rhetoric. If the County Board has to find new ways to raise revenue, so be it. Protecting the public from criminals costs money. The politicians need to find a way to raise it, and the public must be prepared to pay it.

The Gazette is second to none in its admiration for the various police forces throughout the county, but it makes little sense to constantly ask the police to do more when prosecutions are stymied at the State's Attorney level because of 19th century conditions.

Criminals have computers. Criminals have phones. Criminals keep up on the latest methods for plying their trade.

The Cook County State's Attorney's office should be given the resources to do the same.