Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is once again facing backlash after one of the so-called “Peacekeepers” his administration promoted as an alternative to policing was arrested and charged in a deadly $700,000 robbery.
Kellen McMiller, publicly praised by Pritzker just weeks ago, was taken into custody following a high-speed getaway that ended in a crash, killing an innocent man from Skokie. McMiller, who had been held up as a model of community-based crime prevention, now faces murder charges and is reportedly wanted in four other states.
In early September, Pritzker met with several “Peacekeepers” in Chicago—activists deputized under a controversial program pushed by left-wing Mayor Brandon Johnson. The initiative is rooted in the progressive idea that crime can be curbed by replacing police with community figures who “intervene” in disputes. McMiller was among the individuals Pritzker met and celebrated, even appearing in an official state press release touting the visit.
But after news of McMiller’s arrest broke, the governor’s office quietly scrubbed any evidence of their association. The image of Pritzker smiling next to the accused felon was deleted from state websites and social media without explanation, until a spokesperson admitted the removal came after being notified of the charges.
Pritzker’s team insists he “did not know McMiller personally,” but that excuse is wearing thin. The governor publicly endorsed the Peacekeepers, calling them “trusted messengers” and attacking calls for increased policing as misguided. Now, one of those messengers is behind bars, accused of a violent crime spree that ended in a fatal crash.
This is more than just a PR disaster. It’s a reality check on the fantasy that crime can be negotiated away with activist programs and empty slogans. While Democrat leaders in Illinois defund, demoralize, and delegitimize law enforcement, they’re propping up individuals with long criminal histories as community leaders.
McMiller’s arrest exposes what many critics have warned all along: the Peacekeeper initiative is not a serious public safety strategy—it’s political theater. And in this case, it ended in tragedy.
Rather than reevaluating the program, Pritzker’s response was to delete a photo and issue a boilerplate statement. That won’t bring back the man who was killed. And it won’t fool anyone who sees what’s really happening in Chicago—violent crime surging while state and city leaders chase social experiments instead of solutions.