Frank Polich/Reuters
Chicago cops now blame the "ACLU effect" for the city's murder rate skyrocketing to highest January level in 16 years. For first month of this year, there were at least 50 murders in the Windy City, compared to 28 in 2015 and 20 in 2014. Law enforcement officers told the Chicago Sun-Times that much of this is due to the "chilling effect" of a settlement between the American Civil Liberties Union and the police department requiring officers to record their activities in greater detail. Under the terms of the pact, which took effect at the beginning of 2016, police must fill out a two-page document or "contact card" for every stop. Compared to last January, when police only had to fill out a one-page document per stop, officers filled out 79 percent fewer contact cards.