* CBS 2…

Concerns were mounting Wednesday over a criminal justice reform bill awaiting the governor’s signature.

As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported Wednesday night, the bill has one north suburban police chief threatening to yank body cameras from cops. […]

“This bill includes brand-new language, called the law enforcement misconduct, which defines that an officer who fails to comply with any part of the Body-Worn Camera Act – state law – they are per se committing a Class 3 felony,” [Vernon Hills police Chief Patrick Kreis] said. “Never before have I seen a case where a law is passed that criminalizes the act of violating a department policy.” […]

Currently, officers can review body cameras to help write detailed reports. But that too would be banned.

“It really changes like the dynamic for the work product the officers are going to put out,” Jones said.

As is so often the case with recent reporting on this particular topic, not a single proponent was mentioned in the story, so I reached out to sponsoring Sen. Elgie Sims about why officers aren’t allowed under this bill to use cam footage to write their reports. His texted reply…

Supervisors are allowed to review the reports. And furthermore when a member of the public makes a complaint, they can’t review the data before making their complaints. This provision treats law enforcement the same way.

* Vernon Hills police Chief Patrick Kreis was eagerly spreading hype and fear in 2019…

Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick Kreis said that based on what he’s heard from states where recreational marijuana is legal, local authorities will have a real challenge on their hands.

“Hospitalizations due to overconsumption of cannabis skyrocket,” he said. “The dispensary locations have been riddled with complaints connected with the odor.”

Point being, Kreis might be right now, but I’d take anything this police chief says with a grain of salt considering what he was saying two years ago.

* Related…

* Crime survivors say parts of sweeping reform bill help reduce their trauma and allow them to ‘move on to the next stage in your life’ - While much of the focus on the sweeping bill has involved law enforcement objections and responses from legislative sponsors, groups representing crime victims and their loved ones have largely been celebrating its passage.

*** UPDATE *** Some links from comments…

* 22 police shootings in Chicago this year — and no audio in any

* Chicago police are destroying their own dashboard cameras

* Key Body Camera Footage Missing After Chicago Police Officers Raid Wrong Homes, Point Guns At Children