Chicago Robbers Copy Cartel Roadblock Tactics:  Robbers on Chicago's south side are emulating Mexican cartel tactics by setting up fake roadblocks as a ruse to trap motorist and violently rob them.  Ildefonso Ortiz of Breitbart reports that this tactic is prevalent with both known Mexican drug cartels such as the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, and is so common in some Mexican border states that Federal police officers escort tourists to avoid danger.  Since the Mexican cartels control much of the illegal drug trade in Chicago, some speculate whether the robbers intentionally copied them or came up with the scheme on their own.

Iowa Bill to Shield Crime Victims' Addresses:  The Safe at Home Act, advancing through the Iowa legislature, would keep the home addresses of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and stalking confidential.  Mark Carlson of KCRG-TV9 reports that victims would receive a new legal address to be included on public records, but their actual address would not be available to the public.  Law enforcement and select officials would still have access to victims' true residences.

Bill Would Put Time Limit on Rape Kit Processing:  A bill passed yesterday by the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee, SB 0981, would require rape test kits to be sent to the state's testing lab within 60 days of the victim's written consent.  Kelli Cook of Local Memphis reports that law enforcement in the state are currently not require to submit a rape kit at all, resulting in thousands of untested kits, some of which are decades old.  The bill as it stands, however, is not the ultimate solution, as some officials maintain that there is a need for more funding for labs, prosecutors, and law enforcement.

NC Legislation Would Raise the Age of Juvenile Offenders:  A bipartisan group of lawmakers in North Carolina have introduced HB 399, or the Young Offenders Rehabilitation Act, which would raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction of 16- and 17-year-olds who have committed low-level misdemeanors to ensure that they do not end up in the adult criminal justice system.  Sandy Selvy-Mullis of the Stanly News & Press reports that according to a child advocacy group, 16- and 17-year-olds handled in the adult criminal justice system are twice as likely to recidivate as offenders in the juvenile criminal justice system.  North Carolina is only one of two states, along with New York, that automatically prosecutes all 16- and 17-year-old misdemeanants as adults, regardless of the seriousness of the crime.  New York is expected to revise their version of the law this spring.

DNA Collection at Arrest in Effect Today in Wisconsin:  A new law in Wisconsin requires all people arrested for violent felonies and anyone convicted of a felony or misdemeanor to submit a DNA sample.  This is expected to generate an additional 25,000 DNA samples from violent felony arrests and convictions and 43,000 samples from misdemeanor convictions.  Dee J. Hall of the Wisconsin State Journal reports that the state has expanded its Crime Laboratory and hired more analysts and forensic technicians to handle the increase.  Wisconsin is the 29^th state to implement a DNA sample requirement at arrest.