CPD Officers Will Soon Have to Report Every Time They Point a Gun at a Person
The rule was initially scheduled to take effect on Monday, but it has been delayed
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Murders, shootings and other violent crimes in Chicago through the first half of 2019 have decreased compared to the same period last year, according to data collected by Chicago police. Lisa Chavarria reports.
Officials are working on implementing a new rule that will require Chicago police officers to report every time they point a gun at a person.
Under the new policy, which is part of a consent decree meant to bring reforms to the Chicago Police Department, officers will have to radio the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications to report any gun-pointing incidents, according to a statement from CPD spokesman Luis R. Agostini.
Officers will be required to provide their radio identification or beat number, but not their individual badge number, police said.
No written documentation will be required, and officers will not have to report cases where they unholster their guns, display them or hold them in a “low ready” position, according to Agostini.
The rule was initially scheduled to take effect on Monday, but it has been delayed “to ensure alignment and proper implementation” with the consent decree, Agostini said. A new effective date will be announced in the “near future” and the policy could be implemented within the next 30 days.
With a new year comes new laws. Beginning January 1, 2019, more than 200 bills passed in Illinois go into effect. From changes for drivers to gun control measures, protections for animals to prescription regulations and more, it was a busy year in Springfield. Here's a look at 30 new measures that could impact you moving forward u2014
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Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing child restraint system, thanks to House Bill 4377. Children weighing more than 40 pounds or taller than 40 inches are exempt.
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A 72-hour waiting period will be implemented for all firearms, not just handguns. Senate Bill 3256 also eliminates a current exemption on the waiting period that previously allowed for the sale of a firearm to a non-resident of Illinois while at a recognized gun show. Violating the provision is now a Class 4 felony. The current 24-hour waiting period for stun guns and Tasers remains.
House Bill 2354 allows family members or law enforcement to petition the court for a restraining order to temporarily remove firearms from the possession of an individual displaying threatening or unsafe behavior. The Firearms Restraining Order Act, as itu2019s known, says that if a judge finds evidence that a person is a danger to themselves or others, the court can issue an emergency, temporary order for up to 14 days, or a six-month order after a full hearing. It also allows the court to issue search warrants to law enforcement to temporarily seize a personu2019s weapons.
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Spurred by the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, this year, Senate Bill 3411 allows schools, places of worship and workplaces u2013 not just individuals, as the law previously allowed u2013 to petition the court for protection from a person deemed to be stalking the location. The law allows a judge to then temporarily restrict that personu2019s access to firearms if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The bill also expands the u201cStalking No Contact Order Actu201d to include sending unwanted messages via social media as stalking behavior.
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This law creates a u201creckless dog owneru201d designation if a dog is deemed dangerous for killing another dog and is found running at large twice within 12 months of being found to be dangerous. People determined to be reckless dog owners can be fined (per animal) under Senate Bill 2386, and courts can confiscate dogs from those owners for anywhere between 12 and 36 months for the first violation.
House Bill 5745 exempts nursing mothers from having to serve jury duty.
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Prior Jan. 1, insurers could limit or exclude coverage of a drug used to treat stage 4 metastatic cancer by requiring the patient to first try a different drug, or to prove a history of failure to another drug before covering a new treatment. House Bill 4821 prohibits that practice.
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House Bill 2617 requires insurance companies to cover standard fertility preservation services when a medically necessary treatment u2013 like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, among others u2013 may cause the patient to experience impairment of fertility.
Senate Bill 3015 allows school nurses to keep asthma medication, prescribed in the schoolu2019s name and not designated for a specific student, on hand to administer it when someone is experiencing respiratory distress.
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Unless it states otherwise, prescriptions u2013 except those for controlled substances u2013 are valid for 15 months from their issue date for the purpose of refills under Senate Bill 3170.
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Sparked by a 2017 incident in which a Kane County Jail inmate receiving treatment at Genevau2019s Delnor Hospital took two nurses hostage in an hours-long standoff, House Bill 4100 requires all licenses health care facilities to establish violence prevention programs in an effort to protect staff. It also creates whistleblower protections for staff and creates safety guidelines for when inmates receive medical treatment.
Senate Bill 2270 provides that nothing can prevent a law enforcement officer from taking temporary custody of an animal that is in danger due to extreme heat or cold conditions, so long as the officer has attempted to make contact with the owner. The law also states that the owner will be responsible for costs of veterinary care for the animal.
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House Bill 1671 requires every law enforcement agency that has police dogs to vaccinate the dogs against rabies before they begin police service, to provide an annual veterinary examination and to transport police dogs in vehicles equipped with a heat sensor that sends an audio and visual notification if the temperature inside the car reaches 85 degrees.
House Bill 5752 creates the Broadband Advisory Council with the goal of exploring ways to expand access to broadband internet and technology across Illinois, particularly in underserved areas. The council will be administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
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Under Senate Bill 2777, doctors who prescribe controlled substances will now have to complete three hours of continuing education on safe opioid practices to renew their prescription license. Hours offered by an accredited professional association, a state agency, a federal agency or hours used to meet the licensing requirements of other states can be counted toward this requirement.
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House Bill 4658 requires licensed school personnel and administrators who work with K-12 students to be trained once every two years to identify the warning signs of mental illness and suicidal behaviour in young people, and how to appropriately intervene.
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All Illinois schools will now be required to hold active shooter safety drills within 90 days of the start of the school year under Senate Bill 2350. The law requires the drills be done on days when students are in the building and all school personnel and students present must participate. Law enforcement must also observe the drill.
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Senate Bill 3240 allows the state to revoke the permit of carnivals, amusement attractions or fairs that don't conduct background checks of every ride operator, if they have violated that legal requirement three or more times. The law also raises the fine for violations of the background check requirement from $1,000 to $5,000 for a first offense, and from $5,000 to a maximum of $10,000 for the second offense. The third violation will now result in the permit being revoked.
House Bill 4346 requires every public higher education institution and community college to offer a Black History Course.
The import and sale of most ivory and ivory products will be illegal in Illinois thanks to House Bill 4843. Antique guns and knives that are more than 100 years old, as well as musical instruments containing ivory that were made before 1975, are exempted and the Department of Natural Resources will be allowed to set rules allowing the sale or transfer of ivory for educational or scientific purposes.
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December 3 - the anniversary of Illinoisu2019 recognition as the 21st state of the union - will be designated as "Illinois Statehood Day" each year thanks to House Bill 489.
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Thanks to House Bill 4231, hunters will be allowed to wear blaze pink (inset) during firearm deer season and upland game season, in addition to the fluorescent orange that was previously the only color allowed.
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Every facility that houses a circuit court will be required to designate at least one public lactation room or area by June 1 under Senate Bill 3503. The room cannot be in a restroom and must include a chair, table, electrical outlet and when possible, a sink with running water.
Kevin Daly/Lenox Hill Hospital
The aptly-numbered House Bill 66 creates a 20-member Route 66 Centennial Commission to plan events throughout Illinois, commemorating and celebrating the 100th anniversary of the construction of Route 66, which began in 1926.
House Bill 4908 requires all children to have a dental examination before May 15 of their ninth grade school year, applicable to all public, private and parochial schools.
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Senate Bill 2378 requires all law enforcement agencies to adopt a written policy for the internal review of officer-involved shootings, which will be available for inspection under the Freedom of Information Act.
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The Illinois secretary of state will be required to include information on the "Dutch Reach" method of opening car doors in the office's "Rules of the Road" publication. The "Dutch Reach" involves the driver checking the rear-view mirror, checking each side mirror, then turning to open the driver's side door with the right hand, to prevent hitting cyclists with the car door. Under House Bill 5143, the secretary of state will have to include questions on safe driving in the presence of bicycles as a possible question on the written portion of the driver's license exam.
Ever had to pay for something required by your work, but then never been paid back? Senate Bill 2999 aims to end that by requiring employers to reimburse employees for expenses the employer authorized or required. Employers can establish written reimbursement policies and are not liable for anything beyond whatu2019s stated in that agreed-upon policy, nor losses due to the employeeu2019s negligence.
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Previously, anyone who filed a petition to change their name was required to publish a notice of the name change. But under Senate Bill 2330, survivors of domestic violence can waive that requirement in order to keep their information, including their address, private from abusers.
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Senate Bill 3604 attempts to limit u201cgolden parachutes,u201d or large severance packages, for government workers by limiting severance pay to no more than 20 weeks of that employeeu2019s compensation. It also prohibits any severance pay if an employee has been fired for misconduct.
”While we take the appropriate time to digest the feedback received, the spirit and intent of the firearms pointing incident notification policy remains the same,” Agostini said.
The department submitted a draft of the policy to the consent decree Independent Monitoring Team and the Illinois Attorney General’s office on the week of May 6 and got notes back about a week and a half ago, Agostini said.
He said CPD also submitted a draft of a bulletin designed by its training division last week and has not received feedback on that yet.
Representatives for the monitoring team and the attorney general’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the delay Monday afternoon.
