Gill Advances Measure Allowing 18-year-olds to Serve as Deputy Sheriff

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Advocating for first responder concerns, state Rep. Mary Gill, D-Chicago, is advancing legislation that would allow 18-year-olds to be appointed as a correctional officer or full-time deputy sheriff. 

 

“By lowering the age that an individual can become a full-time deputy sheriff, we’re creating more opportunities for interested individuals to learn and grow into this position,” said Gill. “They could gain over a year of practical experience during their probationary period, where they observe and assist in the everyday expectations of the position.”

 

Under the Gill-led Senate Bill 1700, the minimum age that an individual could be appointed as a correctional officer or full-time deputy sheriff in Cook County would be moved to 18 years old. These officers would be required to serve at least a 15-month probationary period and would not be allowed to carry a firearm or have the power to arrest someone until they are 21 years old. 

 

This legislation is an initiative of the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board in an attempt to allow police officers to have greater agency over their careers. A deputy sheriff only becomes eligible to serve as a county sheriff after working one year. With this legislation, deputy sheriffs would be eligible to become a county sheriff earlier in their lives, a step viewed as a promotion.

 

“Like all of us, people serving as sheriffs want to have flexibility in their careers,” said Gill. “With this legislation, we’re helping them achieve that goal. They’ll be able to seek promotions and move into positions that they want instead of having to wait extra years for no justifiable reason.”

 

This legislation passed out of the House Judiciary – Criminal Committee with bipartisan support, and it now moves to the floor for further consideration.