Lake County Gazette

Chicago public schools, students, teachers and other community members rallied June 11 at Lincoln Park High School, requesting that the city allocate less money to the Chicago Police Department, according to media reports. However, without police personnel, teachers, principals and superintendents could end up disciplining unruly students on their own, according to a Republican state senator. 

“We've heard some instances that they don't want police or resource officers in the schools and my question is what will they do to protect every student in the school from the implications of that decision,” said Sen. Craig Wilcox, whose 32nd District includes portions of Lake and McHenry counties. “It’s not a discussion we've had in the legislature yet. Many members of our black caucus are trying to work that through.”

Because a special legislative session is unlikely to be called, the matter won’t be discussed again officially until November, according to Wilcox.

“We have plenty of time to truly think about what is being asked and one of the things the legislature often does not do well is think about second and third-order consequences of decisions,” he said. “That is probably the primary concern with any request along these lines.”

Although school districts and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot have the authority to act on their own to eliminate police officers without the support of the legislature, it’s unlikely due to the possibility of losing funding.

“The mayor potentially can do a lot within the city budget but what will legislators think of that when so much state funding goes into Chicago,” Wilcox told the Lake County Gazette. “I'm not saying the school district and mayor can’t do it own their own. I would think they want to do this with legislation. Otherwise, there's a potential for others to take action if they disagree with decisions made at the local level when it comes to state or federal funding.” 

 Black Lives Matter protestors have been gathering daily nationwide ever since Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned George Floyd, an unarmed black man, to the ground with his knee and strangled him to death May 25. Rallying cries that started as "No Justice, no peace" have since evolved into chants of "Defund the police.”

Police force leaders have expressed a willingness to discuss their protocols, according to  Wilcox, some of which he considers troubling.

‘If you're a Chicago police officer involved in a shooting, there's a 24-hour waiting period at which point they are asked for their statement, given the opportunity to review video and audio of the incident and possibly change their statement,” Wilcox said in an interview. “If you are a citizen of Illinois and you're involved in a shooting at your property, your business or home, you're not given that ability. You are taken in immediately and asked about the situation. There are definitely aspects that need to be looked at and possibly changed. I look forward to having those discussions as we move forward.”