Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith is a producer for WBEZ. He produces All Things Considered and reports on politics and criminal justice. Patrick joined WBEZ as an intern in 2013 and never left.
He has a B.S. in news reporting and writing from Columbia College Chicago and an almost M.A. in public affairs reporting from the same place. His reporting has won awards from the Associated Press, the Chicago Headline Club, the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Chicago Bar Association.
Patrick grew up a few miles north of Detroit. Now he lives in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.
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In 2023, cities across the country experienced big drops in shootings. Some of the largest decreases occurred in cities that have become almost synonymous with gun violence.
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Illinois' family service agency is routinely keeping wards of the state in Chicago's juvenile jails beyond their sentences — because of a lack of where to put them.
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Chicago is requiring its workers to be vaccinated or undergo twice-weekly testing on their own time and dime. The head of the police union is urging cops not to share their vaccination info.
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Because of the pandemic, prosecutors in Chicago are preparing to drop thousands of low-level cases because it will be impossible to bring them to trial in time to meet a constitutional deadline. -
Illinois lawmakers passed legislation to bar police from lying to children under the age of 18 during interrogations. It would prohibit cops from using deceptive techniques while interrogating them.
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The release of another police shooting video in Chicago raises questions about when and how officers should engage in foot chases. The goal is to have a new policy in effect before the summer.
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After Chicago police shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo last month, they tried to save his life. That represents a change in how police react after shootings.
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A vigil in Chicago is planned tonight for a 13-year-old boy who was killed by police at the end of March. City officials say the shooting death of Adam Toledo was captured on a police body camera.
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At least seventeen people have been shot in Chicago just since yesterday afternoon – the latest in a string of violent weekends for the city.
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Federal agents have arrested singer R Kelly on a 13-count indictment, including possessing child pornography. Kelly was already under indictment in Illinois on state charges.
