McLean County Times

Rep. Tipsword and his colleagues from the House Republican Truth in Public Safety, or TIPS, Working Group, have introduced a set of bills aimed at improving public safety and law enforcement recruitment efforts. Speaking about the need for change, Tipsword highlighted the consequences of the SAFE-T Act and emphasized the importance of restoring law and order in communities. He stated, “My Republican colleagues and I warned of the consequences when Democrats pushed their so-called SAFE-T Act, and, unfortunately, what we predicted has come to pass: criminals have been emboldened, our law enforcement community has been handcuffed and demoralized…and our communities have been made less safe. We must change course this spring.”

The working group identified three key areas for reform: protecting victims of crime, enacting the Real Pre-Trial Fairness Act, and addressing the recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers. New legislation introduced includes HB 5120, which expands detainable offenses pending trial, HB 5121, allowing for the revocation of pre-trial release in the event of new charges, and HB 5126, which reverts back to previous court processes for failure to appear warrants.

As a 30-year law enforcement veteran himself, Rep. Tipsword stressed the urgent need for increased support and recruitment of police and first responders. He expressed concern over the negative impact of the SAFE-T Act on law enforcement recruitment and retention, noting the closure of local police departments in small towns and the strain on available resources. To address this, the working group introduced HB 5122, which offers a $500 tax credit for full-time police officers, firefighters, or rescue workers, and HB 5123, which establishes an annual recruit training program for law enforcement and corrections training.

In conclusion, Rep. Tipsword emphasized the significance of the proposed bills in restoring law and order, stating, “These and other bills our working group is offering will put us on the path to making crime illegal again in Illinois.”