SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A Republican lawmaker who’s also the chief deputy of the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office does not believe school resource officers should have to wear body cams, and he thinks all state lawmakers should be required to ride along with police officers on patrol every year.
“There’s no higher priority for me, as a deputy sheriff and a state representative, than keeping our families safe. To do that, real changes are needed,” said State Rep. Dennis Tipsword from the 105th District.
Tipsword’s legislation, House Bill 4050, is focused on privacy and safety of officers, and amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act.
Tipsword said in schools, students captured in officers’ body camera footage would all be juveniles, requiring their images to be redacted, making the footage useless.
“Officers working undercover would also be excluded from body cam mandates, because others working undercover may inadvertently be recorded and compromised, and that puts lives at risk,” Tipsword said.
House Bill 4050 would also allow officers involved in “use of force” incidents to review their body cam footage before filling out their reports.
“In a high-stress situation, recall can be limited, so being allowed to review the footage is especially important,” said Tipsword.
He’s also sponsored House Bill 3358, which would require all state lawmakers to complete an annual ride-along with police, as well as with a simulation training program.
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