State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) recently filed legislation in the House to fund the police and help keep violent criminals behind bars. The legislation is identical to the bills filed by Senate Republicans earlier this month to empower law enforcement and take on the crime wave occurring throughout the state.
“The violent crime spree we are seeing across the state will only get worse when the anti-police legislation signed into law this year by Governor Pritzker takes full effect,” said Rep. Caulkins. “I sponsored these two important bills because I want to send a message to the men and women that wear the badge – we support you and want to back up our support by providing more funding to enhance public safety in communities across the state.”
The legislation sponsored by Rep. Caulkins to fund the police and help stop violent crime includes:
- House Bill 4191 creates the Fund the Police Act by transferring $100 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Fund the Police Grant Fund. Appropriations will be provided to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board (ILETSB) to make grants to units of local government and Illinois public universities for the purpose of: (1) hiring law enforcement officers; (2) providing mental health care for law enforcement officers; (3) providing for hiring, retention incentives, and overtime payments for law enforcement officers; (4) purchasing public safety equipment designed to prevent gang violence, motor vehicle theft, vehicular hijacking, or the sale of contraband; and (5) training for law enforcement officers in preventing gang violence, motor vehicle theft, vehicular hijacking, or the sale of contraband.
- House Bill 4190 creates the Firearm Crime Charging and Sentencing Accountability and Transparency Act. Requires State’s Attorneys to provide written justification when a weapons offense is plea-bargained down to a lesser offense or non-weapons offense. Provides for adult prosecution of a minor who was at least 16 years of age at the time of the offense who is charged with armed robbery or aggravated vehicular hijacking while armed with a firearm. Enhances penalties for committing various offenses with a firearm and other changes concerning criminal procedure and law enforcement.