City Expands Crackdown on Illegal Cigarettes Sales

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The "Loose Square Man" may become a thing of urban legend as the City of Chicago's expanded crackdown on loose cigarettes sales gets underway.
The "Loose Square Man" may become a thing of urban legend as the City of Chicago's expanded crackdown on loose cigarettes sales gets underway.

Those involved in the sale of illegal cigarettes may soon find it harder to do so.

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) unveiled its 2014 strategy for maintaining momentum in an on-going effort to crackdown on illegal tobacco sales.

Part of the plan includes BACP increasing the size of its special enforcement unit by 50 percent, expanding tobacco enforcement operations, increasing penalties for the sale of illegal cigarettes, and strengthening the City’s partnership with the County.

“Since taking office, my administration has expanded its efforts to stamp out illegal tobacco sales because they harm our communities and our small businesses,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “These new initiatives will ensure that we continue to crack down on this illegal activity across the city.”

The City plans also to expand BACP’s special enforcement unit, which conducts consumer protection sting operations against problem businesses.

Earlier this year, this unit conducted sting operations and will continue to work closely with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to investigate and pursue the sale of loose and unstamped cigarettes in Chicago neighborhoods.

"Last year CPD increased arrests and nearly doubled the number of tickets given for selling loose cigarettes,” said Chief Nicholas Roti, head of Chicago Police Departments’ Bureau of Organized Crime. “Next year we plan to increase our efforts even further by automating alerts of illegal activity from BACP inspectors to our officers. We understand the impact of this crime on health and neighborhood economies, and we take it seriously."

In 2012, BACP inspectors confiscated more than 31,000 packs of illegal cigarettes, a 50 percent increase from 2011.

Similarly, CPD’s enforcement efforts have grown as well, resulting in 781 arrests and 490 citations for the sale of loose cigarettes – an increase from 2012 when CPD made 734 arrests and 274 citations. Individuals pay an average of .50 to .75 in Chicago, to purchase a loose cigarette from illegal vendors.

The City’s enforcement efforts have also been aided by the increased penalties contained in the Emanuel Administration’s May 2012 licensing reform ordinance, which includes doubling fines for selling tobacco to minors and more stringent County fines for the sale of unstamped cigarettes and single cigarettes.

As part of the City County collaboration, the City and County worked together to increase ticketing for the sale of unstamped cigarettes. Beginning in April 2012, inspectors from the Cook County Department of Revenue and BACP began ticketing violators of both the City and County’s ordinances related to sales of unstamped cigarettes. In the past, each inspector could only write City or County tickets.

“In addition to enhancing inspector efficiency, our collaboration with Cook County has resulted in illegal tobacco sale citations that would not have otherwise been prosecuted,” said Rosemary Krimbel, Commissioner, Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, “We will work to strengthen our partnership with the County to ensure that we are using every tool available to stop this illegal activity.”

Since April 2012, the County has issued 780 citations on behalf of the City, while the City has issued almost 500 of the County’s citations.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

A.L. Smith - Harold Washington Legacy Committee