HB5730 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 18979 RLC 64218 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5730

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Police Sensitivity Task Force Act. Provides that the Task Force shall: (1) investigate instances of racial disparity related to traffic stops; (2) obtain testimony from persons who believed that they were victims of racial disparity in traffic stops and from law enforcement officers; (3) study past practices relating to traffic stops; and (4) make recommendations to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board for suggested revisions to existing racial sensitivity curriculum, and to municipal, county, and State law enforcement agencies to address the problem of racial disparity related to traffic stops. Provides that the Task Force shall hold public hearings and shall issue a written report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2014; and that upon filing its report the Task Force is dissolved.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning police procedure.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Police Sensitivity Task Force Act.

Section 5. Purposes.

(a) The General Assembly acknowledges that the 2010 Traffic Stop Statistics Report prepared by the Illinois Department of Transportation indicates that the number of vehicle stops has declined in recent years but the number of consent searches performed and citations issued to minorities has increased.

(b) The General Assembly acknowledges that minorities typically experience intimidation to allow law enforcement officers to search their vehicles, trunk space, containers, and person, because of the authoritative relationship displayed by police.

(c) The General Assembly acknowledges that although consent searches have proven to be very useful tools in reducing the availability of prohibited items such as guns and drugs, the Illinois Department of Transportation report indicates that a disparity exists and more specifically, that police officers misinterpret signs of suspicion in minorities more than they do for Caucasians.

(d) Leaders within the law enforcement community have recognized that the stop, question, and search process has created a problem of public trust and undermines police legitimacy.

(e) Existing polices regarding consent searches are inconsistent among law enforcement agencies and fail to address all elements of the stop and search process.

(f) The General Assembly acknowledges that the key to achieving policing polices based on mutual respect, neutrality, and trust between the officers and the citizens they detain is the elimination of bias, discrimination, and incompetence with law enforcement.

(g) The General Assembly believes that a Task Force should be created to investigate instances of racial disparity related to traffic stops and make recommendations concerning the revision of racial sensitivity curriculum offered by police training academies.

Section 10. Police Sensitivity Task Force.

(a) The Police Sensitivity Task Force (hereinafter referred to as the Task Force) is created and shall be composed of the following members who shall serve without compensation for their service as members of the Task Force:

(1) two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(2) two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(3) two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;

(4) two members of the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(5) the Executive Director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or his or her designee;

(6) the Director of State Police or his or her designee;

(7) the Chairperson of the Illinois Human Rights Commission;

(8) The Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department or his or her designee;

(9) the Sheriff of Cook County or his or her designee;

(10) a university professor teaching in the field of law enforcement appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(11) a university professor teaching in the field of law enforcement appointed by the President of the Senate.

(b) The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint a joint chair to the Task Force.

(c) The Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall provide administrative support to the Task Force.

(d) The Task Force shall:

(1) investigate instances of racial disparity related to traffic stops;

(2) obtain testimony from persons who believed that they were victims of racial disparity in traffic stops and from law enforcement officers;

(3) study past practices relating to traffic stops; and

(4) make recommendations to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board for suggested revisions to existing racial sensitivity curriculum, and to municipal, county, and State law enforcement agencies to address the problem of racial disparity related to traffic stops.

(e) The Task Force shall hold public hearings and shall issue a written report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2014; and that upon filing its report the Task Force is dissolved.