CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) met with chairs of his Law Enforcement Advisory Board and members of Illinois’ law enforcement community to discuss the federal resources available to keep Illinois communities safe. Representatives from the Law Enforcement Advisory Board included Vladimir Talley, Maywood Chief of Police, Daniel O’Shea, Rockford Chief of Police, and James Getz, Decatur Chief of Police, along with members of 17 law enforcement departments across Illinois. Topics included protecting Illinois residents from terror attacks, combating gang violence, ending sex trafficking, addressing the heroin epidemic and preventing the trafficking of illegal firearms.
“It's never been more important for leaders across every level of government to work together to keep Americans safe," said Senator Kirk. "Today I brought together law enforcement from across Illinois to ensure we are fully coordinated to get the federal resources needed to prevent terror attacks, stop dangerous drug gangs and ensure every first responder has access to naloxone."
In April, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the FY2017 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill, which included Kirk-driven priorities to combat gang violence, help local law enforcement address the rape kit backlog and increase funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) competitive grant program that supports local law enforcement.
Recently, Senator Kirk worked with local Chicagoland law enforcement members to combat the rising epidemic of heroin abuse, and presented a donation made by the Jordan Michael Filler Foundation of 500 units of Narcan, the brand name version of the lifesaving drug naloxone that reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Senator Kirk continues to lead on efforts to make naloxone more readily available for first responders to continue saving the lives of Illinois residents.
Senator Kirk has also led on efforts to pass legislation to protect Illinois families from continued gun and gang violence. Illinois firearms are routinely trafficked into Illinois and account for upwards of 60% of guns recovered by Chicago police. Senator Kirk and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced the Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryer-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act of 2015, which would make the trafficking of illegal guns a federal crime and would provide tools for law enforcement to help get illegal guns off our streets.
The meeting included representatives for 17 departments across Illinois:
◾Chicago Heights Police Department
◾Chicago Police Department
◾Cook County Sheriff’s Office
◾Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
◾Decatur Police Deparment
◾Forest Park Police Department
◾Hillside Police Department
◾Jerome Police Department
◾Kane County Sheriff’s Office
◾Lake County Sheriff’s Office
◾Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office
◾Maywood Police Department
◾McHenry County Sheriff’s Office
◾Norridge Police Department
◾Oak Park Police Department
◾River Forest Police Department
◾Rockford Police Department
Congress shouldn’t pass any laws that give money to state or local governments. Congress’ powers are listed in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, and that section doesn’t state the Congress may give any money to state or local governments.
This will sure get to the bottom of why heroin is
cheaper and more pletiful now despite over THIRTY
BILLION DOLLARS spent on the “War on Drugs” !
Who wrote this? Kirk’s P.R. guy?
So now Kirk is also a law-enforcement authority?
I’ll probably be seeing the Kane County Sheriff at some event this weekend.
I’ll ask if Kirk’s meeting was really worth anything.
Everybody that wants to knows the core root of the problems and until that is addressed all else is smoke and mirrors.
Mote talk, more tax money and more violence. The same cycle of the last 50 years.
17 departments “across Illinois”? Has Kirk or his staff looked at a map? According to this list, 10 of those 17 departments are IN Cook County; 4 are in collar counties; one is in a very northern county; that leaves TWO, yes TWO, departments south of I-80. How is that even remotely considered “across Illinois”?
THIS is Kirk’s problem – he acts like he is still only representing his old Congressional District …… the rest of the state can eat cake!
Obama has spent 30 cents on the war on drugs… why you ask, because you can’t have an open border and expect to control the influx of drugs and illegals. The corrupt democrats hate our children and allow the influx of drugs into America, drugs like heroin…. the illegal aliens bring it in and has flooded the market, which is why heroin is cheap.
Illegal aliens murder our children with heroin, make sex slaves out of 12 year olds, and steal jobs from Americans.
The “Illegal aliens don’t hurt nothing” is the LIE of the century!
Federal money comes with federal “strings”; beware of accepting federal funds. It’s just one more step towards a nationalized police force. Local government is in jeopardy.
A lot of last minute talk, nothing more. He has supported sanctuary cities which protect gang members, drug dealers, and alien felons from ICE deportation. He was the only Republican Senator to vote against de-funding sanctuary cities.