Prairie State Wire

A group representing Illinois' professional law enforcement expressed concerns about the "unintended consequences" of the criminal justice reform bill that would also end cash bail in the state.

"This legislation is an overreach and benefits criminals more than victims or officers," Ed Wojcicki, executive director for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, told Prairie State Wire.

The bill, adopted before the end of the recent lame-duck legislative session, expands an existing statewide database of officer misconduct and establishes a publically accessible system to check if an officer is certified. It also lets the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Board remove an officer's certification for more reasons and creates use-of-force standards. Body cameras would become mandatory by 2025. It also requires officers to explain why they were attempting to arrest a person when filing a resisting arrest charge.

Wojcicki said he believes the legislation tarnishes police officers and "ties their hands" during arrests or apprehensions.

"The police are not adversaries in their communities," he said. "They protect and serve and stabilize hundreds of out-of-control and violent situations every day. They respond, collectively, to millions of calls for service every year. But this legislation targets them as villains."

The law would eliminate cash bail by 2023. If signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois would become the first state to make that move. It would also allow those in police custody to make three phone calls before answering questions.

"I expect criminals to feel emboldened and for crime victims to feel abandoned by the criminal justice system except from law enforcement and state's attorneys, because politicians have abandoned the victims of crime," Wojcicki said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has suggested he'd sign the legislation into law, but Wojcicki said he'd like to see it vetoed, or at least an effort to fix the areas they perceive as a problem.