Police Reform Bill 'Detrimental' To Safety Of Residents: Village

BOLINGBROOK, IL — As officials in Illinois are divided over the new criminal law and police accountability reforms, Bolingbrook officials are either is still awaiting clarification from the State Attorney's Office, or opposing the decision.

"Our duty is to enforce and comply with the State of Illinois Statute. The department will continue to provide a high level of service and enforcement no matter the outcome," said Lt. Anthony Columbus of the Bolingbrook Police Department. "The bill does not take effect until July 1, and we expect forthcoming trailer bills."

Gov. J.B. Pritzker held a signing ceremony Monday at Chicago State University with state lawmakers, law enforcement members and activists from community groups, and the signing of the bill has now made Illinois the first state in the nation to abolish cash bail for pretrial detention.

Columbus said the effect of no cash bail bond will be evaluated in the months to come.

"It is too soon to make an assessment," he said.

House Bill 3653, a criminal justice omnibus bill sponsored by the Legislative Black Caucus, passed the Senate 32-23 and the House by a vote of 60-50 with about an hour remaining in last month's lame-duck legislative session. Pritzker said the bill's sponsors had pushed to address systemic racism following national protests against police violence and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The bill also requires all officers to wear body cameras by 2025, expand the process for revoking the certification of officers found to have engaged in misconduct, and enact many other measures, including creating statewide use-of-force standards and expanding required training.

In a statement last month, Bolingbrook village officials had opposed this bill, saying that it will "negatively affect every community in Illinois."

"The changes in the law and reforms that are proposed by House Bill 3653... would impact our police department’s ability to keep Bolingbrook safe and contains numerous unfunded mandates which will have a negative impact on our budget," the village said.

Some provisions of the bill that the village raised concerns about are:

• Elimination of cash bail, which "basically mandates release of offenders."
• Defunding municipalities by removing funding sources and interrupting as much as 40 percent of the total local government distributive fund monies. This will force municipalities to increase taxes.
• Eliminating virtually all collective bargaining over any subject except for wages for over 50,000 law enforcement officers in the state.
• Allowing officers to be punished for unverified, anonymous complaints and eliminates sworn affidavits.

"Should this bill pass, law enforcement will experience a mass exodus of experienced officers leaving the profession or relocating to a law enforcement supportive state and cause a distinct strain on local recruitment efforts," the village said in the statement. "This bill is not police reform; it is an impairment on the law enforcement profession and will be detrimental to the safety of the citizens of Bolingbrook that we are sworn to protect."

Some other Will County officials are also against this decision. State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) said he is "disappointed" in the governor's decision to sign the bill into law.

"This bill will alter the very foundation of policing in Illinois, yet all 764 pages were voted on in the Illinois House with mere hours to review it," he said. "I repeat my deep concerns about the unintended consequences of HB3653: this legislation will make Illinoisans less safe."

Patch editor Jonah Meadows contributed to this reporting.