Gordon-Booth, House Democrats Team up with Senate Democrats to Begin Rollout of Public Safety Priorities

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Today, after thorough engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including law enforcement and victim advocacy groups, state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, and members of the House Democratic Public Safety Working Group joined their colleagues in the Senate to begin proposing solutions to address public safety issues across the state. Leader Gordon-Booth joined state Sens. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, and Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, to propose bills that focus on supporting victims and supporting community involvement in public safety.

“In recent weeks, I have led a diverse public safety working group focused on engaging safety stakeholders and introducing real legislative solutions this session,” Gordon-Booth said. “We understand that we need to immediately address the safety concerns facing families and businesses, as well as support long-term, comprehensive plans that target the root causes of violence. The proposals we are unveiling in the coming days are reflective of our strong dialogue with crime survivors, advocates, justice organizations, civil rights groups and law enforcement organizations – including the Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois State Police, and sheriffs from both sides of the aisle.”

On Friday, Gordon-Booth joined Peters to unveil a plan (House Bill 4736) that strengthens witness protection programs and creates a statewide anonymous tip hotline. The measure would devote greater investment toward funding assistance for emergency or temporary living costs, moving costs, security deposits, mental health care and lost wage assistance.

Gordon-Booth also rolled out an expansion (House Bill 1360) of her proposal to utilize trained behavioral health professionals in conjunction with law enforcement in Peoria. Her amendment expands the pilot program to East St. Louis, Springfield and Waukegan, and would aim to connect behavioral health services with violence survivors to help reduce use of force, crime rates and recidivism.

Today’s joint announcement by House and Senate Democrats kicks off a series of bills being considered by members of both chambers to provide immediate and holistic solutions to public safety. The range of topics the House Democratic Public Safety Working Group is considering includes law enforcement support with recruitment and retention, community investment, crime-solving technology and car theft and highway safety.

“Our constituents deserve safer streets,” state Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford, said. “The old ways don’t work anymore. We must take a balanced approach to keep our streets safe. We must hold criminals accountable and we must invest in rehabilitation, to stop recidivism. We must also reinvest in smart policing by bringing more men and women into the ranks of our police forces and giving them the tools they need to find the right person for the right crime.”

For more information on today’s bills, please visit ilga.gov.