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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives recognize their responsibility to promote,
4protect, and preserve the safety and welfare of the citizens of
5the State of Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The members of this body also recognize that
7criminal street gangs and gang-related activities promote
8crime and jeopardize the health, safety, and welfare of the
9citizens of Illinois; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The City of Chicago has experienced a recent
11increase in criminal street gang activity; over the weekend of
12March 17-18, 2012, 46 people were shot in the City of Chicago,
13with 9 fatalities as a result of criminal street gang violence;
14one of the victims, a 6-year-old girl, was caught in the
15crossfire of a gang shooting as she played on the sidewalk in
16front of her home; for the first 3 months of 2012, gang-related
17murders in Chicago rose 60%, compared to the same time period
18last year; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The gang problem in Illinois extends beyond the
20City of Chicago; outside the metropolitan area, gangs engage in
21violence, burglaries, and drug-related activity harmful to
22Illinois citizens' safety and well-being; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Criminal street gangs are rapidly employing new
2technology, including the utilization of social media, to
3orchestrate drug activity and violence; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Governor Jim Edgar last established a study on
5Illinois gang problems when he established the Governor's
6Commission on Gangs in 1995; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The General Assembly recognizes a current need for
8a new task force to study and analyze the recent increase in
9street gang violence in Illinois; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
11NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12there is created the Illinois Task Force on Gang Violence; and
13be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, that the Task Force shall be comprised of the
15following members, all of whom shall serve without
16compensation; (1) 2 representatives, appointed by the Speaker
17of the Illinois House of Representatives; (2) 2
18representatives, appointed by the Minority Leader of the
19Illinois House of Representatives; (3) a representative of the
20Cook County State's Attorney's office, appointed by the Cook
21County State's Attorney; (4) a representative on behalf of the

 

 

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1State's Attorney offices in Illinois counties other than Cook
2County, designated by the Illinois State Attorney's
3Association; (5) a representative of the Illinois State Police,
4appointed by the Director of the Illinois State Police; (6) a
5representative from the Chicago Police Department, appointed
6by the Mayor of the City of Chicago; (7) a representative of
7the Cook County Sheriff's Department, appointed by the Cook
8County Sheriff's Department; and (8) a representative on behalf
9of the Sheriffs' Departments in Illinois counties other than
10Cook County, designated by the Illinois Sheriffs Association;
11and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Speaker and Minority Leader shall each
13designate one representative to serve as co-chairs of the Task
14Force; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That the Illinois State Police shall provide
16administrative and other support to the Task Force; and be it
17further
 
18    RESOLVED, That the Task Force is charged with conducting
19subject matter hearings, which should include testimony from
20those individuals with knowledge of gang violence, involved
21with communities experiencing gang violence, or affected by
22gang violence; the Task Force shall then analyze the data
23regarding the increase in gang activity in Illinois and issue a

 

 

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1public report of its findings and recommendations to help
2Illinois combat street gang violence on or before January 1,
32013.