HR1113 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1113 LRB097 21724 NHT 70163 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The General Assembly created the Police Training Institute (PTI) at the University of Illinois in 1955; and

WHEREAS, The PTI has trained officers in all 102 counties of this State; and

WHEREAS, The PTI is the largest police training academy in this State and has trained 65% of the officers outside of the City of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, The PTI has recently trained 32% of officers statewide and that percentage rose to 42% in 2010 as enrollment fell in all academies due to the recession, a testament to the reputation for excellence that the PTI has earned; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly created the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board (ILETSB) in 1965; and

WHEREAS, By law the Director of the PTI is a member of the ILETSB; and

WHEREAS, The law establishing the ILETSB does not give it the power to override the State law creating the PTI; and

WHEREAS, The law establishing the ILETSB does not give it the authority to run an academy; and

WHEREAS, The ILETSB desires to close the PTI and use the funds to open a new academy under its management; and

WHEREAS, In the past the ILETSB has also "decertified" the Illinois State Police Academy, although it was later restored; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we determine that (i) the PTI should remain open and its funding should not be diverted to create a new academy, (ii) the ILETSB should abide by the laws that created the PTI and the ILETSB and not create new powers for itself without legislative authority, and (iii) no new police training academies should be created until the level of enrollment and the condition of State finances would make this academically reasonable and financially feasible; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Director of the PTI and to the ILETSB.