Patrick Smith | WBEZ

Reporter, Criminal Justice

Patrick Smith is a criminal justice reporter for WBEZ. Before joining the criminal justice desk, Patrick produced All Things Considered and Morning Edition for WBEZ. He joined WBEZ as an intern in 2013 and never left. Patrick has a B.S. in news reporting and writing from Columbia College Chicago. His reporting has won awards from the Associated Press, the Chicago Headline Club, the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Chicago Bar Association and others. Patrick grew up a few miles north of Detroit. He now lives in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.

Elections

With conservative donor help, O'Neill Burke widens fundraising lead in Cook County state's attorney primary

Eileen O’Neill Burke, who faces Clayton Harris III in the Democratic primary, has received hundreds of thousands from conservatives.

By Chip Mitchell | WBEZ and Patrick Smith | WBEZ

Alonte Wilson, 19, a participant of the Back to Our Future, a Chicago Public Schools program, answers an exam about the constitution Thursday at Breakthrough in the Garfield Park neighborhood.

Education

Expensive program to get high-risk teens back in school is off to a slow start

Back to Our Future targets school-age teenagers who have been out of class for at least a year and who are at high risk of being involved in gun violence.

By Sarah Karp | WBEZ and Patrick Smith | WBEZ

Screenshot from a body-worn camera inside the Cook County jail showing a use of force incident involving detainee Steve Fanady and Deputy Sergeant William Baker.

Crime

Charge dropped against detainee in wheelchair accused of battering jail guard

The decision not to pursue the case comes months after WBEZ reported apparent discrepancies between a written report and video evidence.

By Patrick Smith | WBEZ

La Voz Chicago

Los asesinatos en Chicago bajan un 21% desde el horrendo 2021 al terminar el verano

Los datos policiales muestran que los asesinatos siguen disminuyendo, pero las cifras hasta agosto siguen siendo elevadas comparado con lo que era habitual hace tan sólo unos años.

By Chip Mitchell | WBEZ and Patrick Smith | WBEZ

Crime

Chicago murders are down 21% from horrendous 2021 as summer ends

Police data show murders are continuing to fall, but the numbers through August remain elevated from what was typical just a few years ago.

By Chip Mitchell | WBEZ and Patrick Smith | WBEZ

Crime

Chicago’s new police superintendent inherits a department notoriously slow to enact reforms

Chicago Police officials are checking boxes, but federal reforms mandated in 2019 are not being felt in the community, experts say.

By Patrick Smith | WBEZ

Jontae Adams and his 7-year-old daughter Jaslyn Adams in a family photo.

Crime

No prison for man who admitted buying gun used to kill 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams at McDonald’s drive-thru

Told of the sentence, Jaslyn’s father said, “I pray that he learns from it. I pray that he understands the severity of what happened and what this situation has done to our family.”

By Jon Seidel and Patrick Smith | WBEZ