Lake County Gazette

Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Lake Barrington) claimed Gov. J.B. Pritzker put politics over public safety in signing the state's new criminal justice reform bill.

"This bill does absolutely nothing to increase public safety," McLaughlin told the Lake County Gazette. "It gives potential perpetrators or the person being investigated far too many freedoms and places officers in higher-risk situations as well as any person at the scene. It doesn't protect the guy wearing the badge or the citizens hoping to be protected by the badge."

The criminal justice reform bill includes eliminating cash bails by 2023, a ban on chokeholds and mandates requiring that all police officers undergo more training and be equipped with body cameras by 2025.

McLaughlin, who formerly served as Barrington Hills Village President and as head of the village police department, said no officers he's talked to stands in support of the new law.

"It handcuffs officers and hampers their ability to execute their job in a safe and efficient manner," he said. "I've heard officers talk about how some of the restrictions will put undue risk on them."

The sweeping changes come in the wake of social justice protests that sprang up across much of the country last summer following a black man's killing by a white Minnesota police officer in May. Marches and police reform demonstrations picked up steam after other high-profile killings of blacks by white police officers in the days to come.

"I think the intention was to address some of the things that have happened nationally, but there was little thought given to what the consequences might be," McLaughlin added. "It strikes me as more of a political bill than a public safety one."

McLaughlin said some law elements might be good starting points but simply weren't fleshed out enough to make a positive impact.

"I'm always for a higher level of training," he said. "But in the case of this bill it's so restrictive not much is put to its best use. It greatly harms the morale of everyday officers just trying to do the best job they can."