* Sam Stecklow at the Invisible Institute…

After lengthy delays, Illinois police regulators are one step closer to strengthening their ability to strip officers of their ability to work in law enforcement. The move aims to prevent officers who commit misconduct at one agency from simply moving on to another — a phenomenon sometimes called “wandering cops.”

Regulators with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) released draft administrative rules earlier this month that will allow the agency to begin tackling hundreds of cases in which a police department, prosecutor’s office or member of the public has filed a complaint seeking to strip a police officer of their certification.

The regulations are the first step in implementing several provisions around police decertification included in the 2021 criminal justice reform SAFE-T Act. The process has been “stalled” for years, according to Impact for Equity, a Chicago-based law and policy nonprofit organization. […]

The proposed rules allow for “discretionary decertification” of officers, who were previously only subject to “automatic decertification” if they had been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors.

The rules would create a new Certification Review Panel of ILETSB, which would hear complaints about allegations against officers, such as excessive force, tampering with camera footage or other evidence, false statements, failure to intervene in another officer’s misconduct, or “other unprofessional or unethical conduct or practice harmful to the public.” The categories of misconduct are set out in the state statute but not the rules themselves.

Lots more, so go read the rest. The draft rules are here.

* Lake County News-Sun…

In late October, Gov. JB Pritzker stood in the event hall of the Illinois Beach Hotel to celebrate the completion of a $73 million Illinois Beach State Park shoreline restoration project.

He praised it as a “model” for the country. The breakwaters will save the beach from erosion, rejuvenate area communities and provide habitat for endangered species, the governor said.

But now, water-safety nonprofit Great Lakes Surf Rescue is sounding an alarm over a spate of drownings at the park over the summer, pointing to the recently installed breakwaters as the culprit and calling for improved safety measures. […]

Dave Benjamin is the co-founder of Great Lakes Surf Project, which tracks Great Lakes drowning statistics, provides water safety training and works to raise awareness about water safety. An advocate for water safety for well over a decade, he is critical of the breakwater project.

“You just spent $73 million to increase the water hazards for your beachgoers, and you didn’t do anything to protect the beachgoers,” he said.

Go read the rest.

* What’s being mostly lost in all this is that dipping into TIF money would once again be using one-time revenue to plug a long-term deficit…

Johnson responded by saying he’s ready to use TIF funds to provide revenue to CPS and help close the city’s own $982 million 2025 budget shortfall, but he did not commit to dipping into the accounts to the extent necessary to provide the roughly $485 million Martinez says is needed.

It’s unclear if Johnson supported the plan that the City Council would even approve it, according to members of the body.

To meet Martinez’s request, the city would have to delay or cancel projects in the pipeline to build infrastructure, support affordable housing developments and make capital improvements at the city’s schools and parks.

Putting one-time cash into the permanent spending base is mostly how CPS got itself in so much trouble. Anyway, go read the rest

* Sun-Times…

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is pitching a good news budget for next year: no layoffs, new taxes or tax hikes.

Her proposed $9.89 billion spending plan includes investments in generative artificial intelligence to help county workers do their jobs more efficiently — not to replace them — along with replenishing a fund to help communities helping migrants or hit hard by flooding, and putting solar panels on county facilities to ultimately lower energy costs and save the county money. […]

In her budget speech in the county’s downtown boardroom, Preckwinkle looked back at the beginning of her tenure in 2010 when the county faced a dire $500 million deficit, and what it took to get to where the county is today. Lots of planning, tough choices (including layoffs), thoughtful spending, and a clear long-term vision, she said.

“We avoid using one-time revenues for recurring expenses,” Preckwinkle said. “We don’t borrow more than we need. We don’t spend more than we have, and we don’t do quick fixes.”

Go read the rest.