Today, State Representative Jeff Keicher was honored to join officials and law enforcement from across the state to pay tribute to the Illinois police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty over the last year.
The Illinois Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony is a somber event that reminds us of the bravery and strength of our men and women who wear the badge. It was also a poignant reminder that poor public policy can have deadly real-world consequences.
As Democratic State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said in her remarks, “When we give more rights to the criminals than we do to our police officers, we end up with dead officers and increased crime in our communities. That’ll mean more buttons on that plate.
“Allowing people accused of violent crimes like murder, attempted murder, or predatory sexual assault to be released on electronic monitoring, with two days a week off the monitoring grid is terrible policy.
“Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez would be with us right now, and not on a button or on the memorial wall, if the monster that murdered him was locked up instead of out committing crimes while on an electronic monitor.”
Rep. Keicher commended the courage of Comptroller Mendoza to call out the dangerous realities of the SAFE-T Act and her call to Democrats to change this dangerous law.
May the sacrifice of our fallen police officers never be forgotten. Thank you to all who are currently serving in law enforcement for your dedication to protecting our communities.