Sheriff's Warrant Database Leads To Dozens Of Tips, 5 Arrests
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Within three days of posting a database of active arrest warrants on their website, Cook County Sheriff's police have received more than 100 tips and made at least five arrests of wanted fugitives.
Within hours, calls began coming in to the office's tips hotline and, as of Monday, more than 100 tips had been called in -- 30 percent of which appeared to be accurate, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
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In total, sheriff's police have made five arrests as a result of those tips, with another three people turning themselves in. Further, four outstanding warrants were cleared when investigators determined the person had died and two other tips provided leads on fugitives believed to be outside the state.
The tips came in as a result of links posted on the sheriff's website, which allow users to search more than 44,000 fugitive warrants and 1,000 child support warrants by city, ZIP code or last name.
Warrants that have been posted on the site include violent crimes such as murder and robbery, as well as for probation violations, traffic offenses and other non-violent crimes.
After searching the warrants, those with information about an outstanding warrant can call in anonymous tips at 708-865-4902 or send an email to fugitive.warrants@cookcountyil.gov.
