Will County Gazette

Will County Board member Mike Fricilone is blasting the proposed Criminal Justice Reform Bill as just more dangerously misguided policy.

“It’s just more of the same defund the police nonsense and a move to deunionize police,” Fricilone told the Will County Gazette. “To push for police not to have any rights is just totally wrong. Democrats are always talking about their support for unions but here they are looking to deunionize police and put legislators in charge.”

Among other things, House Bill 163 seeks to enact such changes as prohibiting pre-trial detention, impeding law enforcement investigations and removing all due process protections for officers.

With the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus among its chief sponsors, the bill would also outlaw cash bails and expand police reform on use of force, crisis training and prohibiting chokeholds. The proposed legislation has been in the work ever since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last summer.

The bill also includes mandating the use of body cameras across the state by 2025 and the use of special prosecutors in police-involved killings.

“I don’t know how you justify taking due process away from law enforcement,” Fricilone added. “That would only open the door for busting unions and preventing law enforcement from having any say on hiring practices.”

Fricilone argues turning the bill into law would only be the start to stripping citizens of even more of their rights.

“It would be another step in chipping away at our liberties as people,” he said. “I think it’s really important to take a stand to show Springfield there job is to work for us and not the other way around.”