September 2008
COOK COUNTY JUDGE NICHOLAS FORD
Does not deserve to be on the bench
A former Oak Lawn police officer, Steven Harrison, pled guilty to one count of official misconduct and was sentenced to two years probation by Cook County Judge Nicholas Ford on Sept. 2, 2008 after he was accused with more than 30 criminal charges last year for allegedly extorting money from Hispanic and ethnic motorists in the Southwest suburban Chicago community. He was also charged with a felony possession of a controlled substance.
Harrison, 26, was arrested on June 20, 2008 after a Chicago police officer witnessed him trading cash for several packets containing heroin at the 47th block of Lake Street. Harrison was free on $100,000 bond from a prior charge that included 23 counts of official misconduct, five counts of theft by deception and three counts of intimidation for allegedly shaking down Hispanic Motorists during his 16 months as an Oak Lawn police officer.
He was arrested on Nov. 6, 2007 after State Police and the Cook County State's Attorney determined he was threatening Hispanics who worked in Alsip, a suburb just south and east of Oak Lawn. He stopped the motorists and threatened to throw them in jail if they did not have cash.
It took the Oak Lawn police more than one year to finally fire him from the job. Oak Lawn has a history of racist practices against ethnic minorities including Hispanics, African Americans and Arabs.
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