The Chicago City Council has passed a new ordinance that would increase fines and impose additional jail time on individuals convicting of assaulting emergency workers.
The ordinance, proposed by Chicago Ald. Matthew O’Shea, will boost penalties for those convicted of assaulting emergency workers, with the crime punishable by up to six months in jail and with fines of up to $1,000, according to a press release.
O’Shea says that the ordinance comes amid an uptick in assaults of paramedics and other emergency workers in the city, and the move was supported by local unions representing those first responders.
“This common-sense public safety measure would not have happened without the leadership of Ald. Matt O’Shea, who heard about the violent attacks against our first responders and diligently worked with his colleagues to put an ordinance on the books to help protect our members,” Local 2 President Jim Tracy said in a statement.
According to the release, firefighters and paramedics reported to the City Council that they have been shot at while responding to emergencies, while others have been attacked inside of ambulances.
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