Policing in the State of Illinois will never be the same if a bill passed Wednesday is signed into law by Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker. On January 13th, Democratic lawmakers in the Illinois State Legislature forced through House Bill 3653 at the last minute, the bill if signed into law, will eliminate among other things: qualified immunity and collective bargaining for police and cash bail for offenders.
This is the time to make our communities truly safe, Sims says. This is bold and transformative. The measure passes 32-23.
— IL Senate Democrats (@ILSenDems) January 13, 2021
State Representative Joe Sosnowski (R) issued a statement following the final passage of House Bill 3653 rebuking the Illinois Democrats,
“I voted on behalf of our men and women in law enforcement against this dangerous legislation that will unfortunately make our communities less safe. This bill threatens cuts in funding for public safety budgets; allows officers to be punished or fired based on anonymous and unsubstantiated or unverifiable complaints; lets politicians dictate police training; allows dangerous offenders to more easily go back on the streets prior to trial; and plays election politics by taking funds from communities with prisons. This legislation was rushed through without input from law enforcement at literally the 11th hour with short debate. ” Rep. Sosnowski said.
The End of Policing?
We asked 19 year retired Police officer, author of “Before The Badge– Everything you Need to Know Before You Become a Cop” and 2018 Candidate for Cook County Sherriff, Dominick Izzo for his thoughts on House Bill 3653. Dominick, a conservative talk show host on MoJo5.0 Radio, did not disappoint, telling his listeners in a familiar refrain: “Be careful what you wish for“.
WARNING: Extremely Explicit Language
A Deeper Explanation of What’s Coming
During his long-form daily show, Dominick went into more detail in a 25 minute segment.
“A lot of you guys are asking me about what’s going on in Illinois, in the House bill that was passed. Whether or not the governor is going to sign it. All this kind of stuff. Guys, you know. There’s no other way to say this. Over the last several years I’ve been talking about law enforcement and the way that its going to be headed into the toilet. And I’m done talking about it. For years I’ve pointed out that eventually cops are going to be so screwed. And I don’t know which direction it was going to be coming towards. Let me give you the definition of one of the things they’re taking off of the table, its called “Qualified Immunity”. And a lot of cops are scared about that, and that’s actually a protection for civil lawsuits,”
Izzo stated that he hopes police will stay on the job, but that Illinois residents should expect a change in how officers respond under the new threat of legal liability. “This is what I do hope happens, I don’t hope that there is a mass exodus of law enforcement, I hope that they stay. But I also hope that they stick around and just drive around in circles, and make their presence known, and collect their $80 Grand a year. Just do that.”
Izzo continued,
“Your law enforcement may not want to do anything because you could sue them for any reason whatsoever. It’s gonna be really crappy. Illinois lawmakers eliminated: Cash bail, Qualified Immunity and collective bargaining rights for police among… Collective Bargaining Rights!!?! Oh I’m so glad I’m done, for police among other dramatic measures. Where they jammed the controversial 764 page “Anti-Police Reform Bill” through the Illinois State House just moments before the end of the 101st General Assembly session at Noon that would’ve killed it. This was done at 4AM.”
Who is Ultimately to Blame? The People of Illinois.
Dominick laid out a case with logic that’s basically unassailable, if unpopular in his native state, placing the blame firmly on the people of Illinois for not participating in their local and state governments in any meaningful fashion. He pointed out the “fabricated fake outrage” in support of cops and the futility of Facebook campaigns like #BackTheBlue. Further explaining that putting on a #BackTheBlue rally? “It doesn’t do sh**, rallies don’t do anything”.
“Well, when you don’t go to these meetings. and you don’t know what policy is, and you don’t listen to stuff. What happens then is your only course of action for stuff is that you wake up the next, morning, bitch. Change your profile picture to like “I support the blue” or “I back the blue”, Do you? Do you really? Where were you the last 3 effing years where this stuff was coming. I was talking about PERF, Police Executive Research Forum years ago. Years ago! And everybody was laughing at me.”
“I hate the way that law enforcement is going now. I really can’t stand it. We have some good cops, great cops and some horrible, horrible people. And the problem is when you the citizen do not get involved in your town this is what happens. And then you wake up like I said ‘I just changed my header my picture on my Facebook to I support the blue, Oh you did? Oh, I’m helping'”
The lesson of this situation is clear: ALL politics are LOCAL politics as they say, and all policing is local policing. And our failure as citizens to engage in our local and state governance will be paid back in bills like this one that neuter our police and place us in danger.
“They received this 764 page bill at 3:04AM and debates on it started at 4:01Am, this is your Illinois politics. Kids, listen: I honestly see no way around any of this.” Izzo said. And he may be right.
An Internal Police Union Memo Emerges
Keith R. George, President of the Metropolitan Alliance of Police issued an internal memo with a Call to Action against then House bill 163 (since amended into Bill 3653) to no avail. George wrote “Should this bill become law – a non-union groundskeeper would have more legal rights and protections than a police officer!”
This hour law enforcement officers throughout the land of Lincoln await the signature of Governor Pritzker like the sword of Damocles, poised to cut them down, ending policing in Illinois as we know it.
