Second of two parts
First part is at thevoice.us/state-law-enforcement-leadership-a-15-point-plan
A coalition representing Illinois law enforcement leadership and rank-and-file officers issued a 15-point plan for a safety strategy. Here is the second part of that strategy.
• School Resource Officers: Many school districts in the State are adding School Resource Officers and believe in their value, in many cases because of the threat of an increase in school shootings. Any decision on maintaining School Resource Officers and funding them should remain at the local level.
• Officer wellness and support: We continue to support efforts to promote officer wellness and have been actively working with the new suicide prevention task force.
• Recruitment: Agencies continue to look for ways to develop staff that represent the diversity of the communities they serve. Local governments and community leaders must share the responsibility of recruiting diverse law enforcement agencies.
“Coalition members support law enforcement modernizations that will improve the criminal justice system for all Illinoisans. The Coalition is willing to work with anyone interested in solving the complex policy issues surrounding the modernization movement here in Illinois,” said FOP State Lodge president Chris Southwood. “At the same time, we will not violate two important basic principles: Law enforcement modernization can’t end up harming the safety of the public we serve, or the safety of the officers charged with protecting the public.”
In addition to the Coalition’s 15-point plan, its members have identified six major areas of concern that appear to be at the top of the list in many police reform discussions.
• Execution of Warrants: No-knock warrants are seldom granted now, but they are a necessary tool depending on the circumstances. Serving warrants is one of the most dangerous activities required of law enforcement professionals, because very often those being served resort to violence.
• “Militarization”: Most of the “military equipment,” or surplus government equipment, being procured by departments is furniture and other office equipment. In addition, untrained citizens think they are seeing “tanks” when in fact it is heavy duty equipment and many of these tools are essential in saving lives and rescuing innocent civilians.
• Sworn affidavits: We support the right of people to file a complaint against an officer, but we oppose eliminating the sworn affidavit that must accompany a complaint. There would be too many frivolous complaints and “revenge” complaints if this were eliminated, a situation that existed before the sworn affidavit law was created.
• Qualified immunity: Many people and politicians mistakenly believe that qualified immunity makes it impossible to sue a police officer or department. That is absolutely not true. If it is not part of a total package that would include eliminating immunity for state’s attorneys, judges and State legislators, then it can be only be seen as a clear attack on law enforcement specifically.
• Detainment and corrections: Detainees are now provided access to phone calls under state law. We already post this information in jails. We would continue to oppose expanding this “access to phone calls” for a variety of safety reasons.
• Reform of bail system: Safeguards must be in place so that judges can determine whether a person under arrest is a threat to society and the likelihood that the person would actually show up in court. Also, too much focus on an arrested person’s rights reduces or eliminates the rights of victims and the legitimate fears that crime victims have about becoming the victims of crimes again.
“The Illinois Law Enforcement Coalition has been working on strategies to improve community safety and to enhance the trust and support of the community members we serve,” said Illinois Sheriffs’ Association executive director Jim Kaitschuk. “The Coalition members all support reforms that would improve the criminal justice system for all Illinoisans.”
—Illinois Law Enforcement Coalition