- Published: 18 March 2016
Chicago - The top priority this legislative sessionfor Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-5th Senate) has been law enforcement accountability. Van Pelt has introduced legislation that directly addresses the high profile issues within community policing.
Last Friday, Van Pelt and the Senate Executive Subcommittee on Police Professionalism met at the Bilandic Building in Chicago to hear testimony on Senate bills 2210, 2233 and 2370, all legislation the senator is sponsoring. Van Pelt represents some of Chicago’s most violence-stricken areas, in addition to some communities disproportionately affected by a lack of law enforcement accountability.
"Mistrust of law enforcement is plaguing our communities. There’s not a week that goes by that I don’t get a complaint from my neighbors in the district," Van Pelt said shortly before the hearing started.
More information on Van Pelt’s legislation can be found below.
Senate Bill 2210: Establishes that videos and other materials or documents related to police misconduct are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, except when an exemption is approved by a judge
Senate Bill 2233: Prohibits destruction of all records related to complaints, investigations and adjudications of police misconduct and requires permanent retention of those records, applies to records currently in existence or created in the future, and expressly overrides any agreement or order to destroy these records
Senate Bill 2370: Requires that all minors be represented by counsel throughout custodial interrogations, and makes statements made by a minor during a custodial interrogation without counsel inadmissible in juvenile or adult court proceedings
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