Citing the urgent need to take swift action to stem the ongoing spike in violent crime across the state, State Senator Win Stoller (R-Germantown Hills) lends his support for the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus’ newly unveiled legislative package that targets violent crime and offers a critical lifeline to law enforcements efforts.
“Communities across the state of Illinois are seeing historic levels of violence and murders. The citizens of our state are justifiably frightened and concerned,” said Sen. Stoller. “If we do not act quickly to rectify the growing number of violent crimes, more families will become a victim to our inaction.”
The legislative package includes a “Fund the Police Grant Act,” which would provide targeted grants to assist law enforcement, provide additional training, and purchase much-needed equipment, including body cameras. The senators called for greater support for the men and women tasked with protecting communities across the state, noting that police officers and sheriffs were leaving the law-enforcement profession in unprecedented numbers. In many cases, officers leaving the profession have indicated that it was, in large part, due to provisions of the so-called “SAFE-T Act,” an anti-police package rammed through by a partisan vote in the late-night hours of a lame-duck session in January 2021.
“The law enforcement officers of our state are retiring and leaving in staggering numbers,” continued Sen. Stoller. “According to the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police there is an average vacancy rate of 20 percent for law enforcement positions throughout Illinois. This troubling trend doesn’t bode well for our future.”
The legislative package also contains bills to keep violent offenders off of the street, help stop the flow of illegal guns to criminals, take serious action against carjacking, provide mental health treatment to detainees, and repeal the dangerous bail provisions of the anti-police “SAFE-T Act.”
“We have to implement policies that support our law enforcement officers and provide them with the tools to fight violent crimes,” Sen. Stoller said. “To truly reestablish law and order within our state, we must empower those sworn to serve and protect our communities, not the violent criminals who terrorize it.”
The Senate Republicans’ legislative package has the support of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police.
To view the full text of the Senate Republicans’ package, click here.