Other states to pass reform bills include Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland and California, but Illinois’ law is one of the broadest and most comprehensive, said Rich Williams, policy specialist for the National Conference of State Legislatures. SB 1304 establishes new and important guidelines and training for police departments and their officers, while protecting the public by prohibiting officers from using excessive force.
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The law, which fully takes effect in January 2016, also calls for independent reviews of all police-involved deaths and creates a database to help track officers dismissed for misconduct. The new law does not require that officers wear the body cameras, but specifies how they are to be warn, when they should be turned on and how long recorded video should be kept. Officers will be allowed to turn the camera off when talking to a confidential informant, or at the request of a victim or witness.
One hitch in the new law is that it does not require police departments to use the cameras, but only sets standards for those, like the Chicago Police Department, that already do.
The Illinois measure had strong bipartisan support as well as backing from police unions, the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. He says the reporting requirements for the body cameras are burdensome. The fee won’t apply to parking, registration or pedestrian offenses. CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said city officials played a role in crafting the new legislation and the department plans to apply for state grant money to buy more body and vehicle cameras and necessary technology to expand its program.
Bruce Rauner signed legislation Thursday blocking state lawmakers from getting an automatic annual pay raise they were due.
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Democratic State Sen. Kwame Raoul offered the bill cautious praise in a statement. It equips departments with tools to better train officers and respond to incidents.
