SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge has issued a statement regarding Illinois House Bill 4603, proposed legislation that would prohibit law enforcement officers from stopping vehicles for infractions such as speeding, improper lane usage, obstructed windshields, defective headlights, expired registration stickers, or failure to wear safety belts. Evidence obtained in any of these instances would also be deemed inadmissible in court. The bill was pulled from immediate consideration by its sponsor, Rep. Justin Slaughter, after a public outcry against it, but the legislation is still alive in the House Rules Committee:
“Of all the anti-police laws we have seen in recent years, this truly takes the pro-criminal cake,” said Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood. “How many lives will be lost if we can’t stop dangerous drivers? Such a law will only benefit lawbreakers, and common sense must have taken a vacation when this bill was drafted. Thankfully, the howls of indignation over this preposterous piece of legislation forced the sponsor to remove it from immediate consideration, but the bill is still far from dead. We urge the members of the Illinois General Assembly to never let such a potential legal lunacy rear its unhinged head.”
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired police officers – more than 10 percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information.