Peoria Standard

State Sen. Win Stoller (R-Germantown) is wondering how cash-strapped police departments across the state are planning to cover the cost of requirements outlined in the new criminal justice reform bill.

During a recent Senate Appropriations - State Law Enforcement Committee hearing, Stoller put the question to Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Director Brent Fischer. “What would you say is your estimate for the total cost of implementing those requirements,” Stoller asked. "What is the increase in cost specifically to the criminal justice reform bill?”

Among the elements of the new law is a requirement that all officers be equipped with body cameras by 2025.

Fischer admits things are already shaping up to be a struggle.

“A number of areas would be affected,” he said during the hearing. “This is allowing us to go to a headcount of 40 positions. As I stated though, this is a whole new avenue and we don’t know the volume. It could be more but we don’t know.”

Stoller wonders how any of it can be possible given all the struggles that already exist.

“The board was unable to fulfill financial obligations for its mobile training units last year, given the request that you have for fiscal year 2022, does the board expect to fulfill the request for the mobile training units?” he said.

Fischer is simply hoping to make the best out of the situation.

“With the way it’s structured, we would probably be able to dedicate the money from the traffic criminal convicted surcharge and it would put us in much better shape to obtain those levels,” he told the committee.

Stoller’s 37th District includes all or parts of Mercer, Lee, Bureau, Henry, Knox, Stark, Peoria, Woodford and Marshall counties.