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Body cams on table and Zalewski has new crime package

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Illinois

* Police body cams are on the front burner this session…

Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, has already introduced Senate Bill 21, which will be used to provide basic protocol for the cameras — such as when they can be turned off — instead of a mandate requiring them. […]

[Laimutis Nargelenas, manager of governmental relations for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police] said the chiefs association wants to work with the legislature to make the law effective, both economically and practically.

“The issue with the cameras is certain groups want officers to use them in limited instances,” he said. “If we can’t get body cameras without limited restrictions, why use them? If we’re going to use taxpayer dollars to pay for these, let’s make sure they’re used properly.”

* Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Zalewski has a new crime bill. From a press release…

Zalewski, D-Riverside, is taking a new approach to the previous debate over gun penalties based on sentencing modifications that would increase penalties for illegal gun possession while introducing groundbreaking factors for judicial discretion and appropriate case-by-case review. Judges then can alter the length of the person’s sentence based on an individualized assessment of the offender, and even open up opportunities for corrections programming and counseling while the person serves his or her sentence. Zalewski’s new approach to tougher penalties for illegal gun possession seeks to bring Illinois into a new era of correctional reform and align with best practices for a 21st century criminal justice system.

Zalewski also is proposing a series of bills to address several topics that were considered at length by the reform committee:

· Ensures consistency in drug laws when students are present to reduce inconsistent judicial findings

· Allows domestic violence victims to present evidence at sentencing regarding their abuse in the event they are convicted of defending themselves

· Creates a pilot program to let Cook County authorities use drug analysis field tests to determine whether recovered substances are illegal marijuana, cocaine or heroin, reducing the number of days a defendant waits for a preliminary hearing

· Applies enhanced Class 4 felony penalties for property theft of no more than $300 to those with two or more convictions of certain thefts and burglaries, rather than one previous conviction

· Increases the threshold amount for theft from $500 to $1,000

Zalewski also intends to fight vigorously for other criminal justice reform measures pending before the Legislature, including reform of the state’s juvenile transfer laws, realignment of the state’s cannabis statutes, and continuation of the bi-partisan, bicameral Joint Committee on Criminal Justice Reform to continue the important work of studying how to bring Illinois out of the dark ages of sentencing.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:35 pm

Comments

New Rauner mantra - what’s it going to cost?

Comment by Norseman Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:00 pm
While they are at it they should provide for mandatory politician-cams. Enough self-dealing has been seen in Illinois to warrant this.

Comment by plutocrat03 Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:34 pm
Let’s hope that the GOP as well as conservative Dems now recognize the state can’t afford the longer mandatory sentences they keep voting for to get a campaign issue to run on. If Rauner tells the ex-ASA legislators that we can’t afford their penalty enhancement bills, then he will have done us all a favor.

Comment by anon Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:30 pm
Seems to me that one persons definition of “used properly” might conflict with the next guys definition of “hey, turn that thing off! you’re on tape!”

Comment by northernwatersports Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 6:15 pm
== “The issue with the cameras is certain groups want officers to use them in limited instances,” ==

So a police officer comes into a situation of some sort. He must now pause to analyze whether to turn the camera on or turn it off *before* he can do anything else.

Reminds me of Barney Fife asking the bad guy to hang on a minute while he got his bullet from his shirt pocket and loaded his gun.

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The problem with cameras is they only see what they are aimed at. They don’t show the sides or the back. And people will forget that fact. People will begin to think that if it isn’t filmed then it didn’t happen.

Comment by Late to the Party Tuesday, Jan 27, 15 @ 5:44 am
but the cops unions insisted on enactment of a body cam bill in the spring, what’s changed?

Comment by in the know Tuesday, Jan 27, 15 @ 6:22 am
“in the know,” you’re anything but. The police brass are all for body cams, while the unions continue to have big reservations about them. Nothing’s changed.

Comment by charles in charge Tuesday, Jan 27, 15 @ 7:17 am