City continues its opposition to House Bill on police accountability

By Margaret Downing

Reporter

The Loves Park City Council took care of a number of items at the April 12 council meeting:

*A resolution opposing House Bill 1727 regarding “the elimination of qualified immunity for police officers” was passed.

Under Officer Accountability, this Bill “creates” the “Bad Apples in Law Enforcement Accountability Act of 2021,” which “provides that a peace officer subjecting another person to the deprivation of individual rights is liable to the person for appropriate relief.

This “excludes sovereign immunity, statutory immunity, and statutory damages for claims brought under this provision,” and “provides that qualified immunity is not a defense to liability under this provision.”

It “allows attorney’s fees and costs to be awarded to the plaintiff. Provides that civil actions brought under this provision must be commenced within five years after the cause of action accrues. Requires units of local government to make public disclosures regarding judgments or settlements awarded under this provision. Determines what information is not required to be disclosed by the unit of local government.”

The City of Loves Park’s resolution opposing that HB states:

“The Mayor and the City Council hereby agree as follows:

“1. The above recitals are hereby incorporated into this Resolution as if fully stated herein.

“2.The City again commends the professionalism of the Loves Park Police Department and its officers in their work to both protect the City and for acting in a responsible manner in interacting with our citizens.

“3.The City calls upon the Legislature to reject House Bill 1727 and calls upon the Legislature to instead take-up a process for thoughtful and studied reform of our criminal justice system allowing for meaningful input from all stakeholders rather than continuing a process of piece meal legislation that creates unintended consequences harmful to public safety and to the functioning of the system.”

*A special event permit was passed for Mi Gordito to hold a car show on April 23, May 21, June 18, July 23, August 20, and Sept. 24 with amplified music at 5518 N. 2nd St. from 5 to 9 p.m.

*Another special event permit was okayed for Mi Gordito to hold a flea market on May 22 and 23 at 5518 N. 2nd St. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with parking at Grace Lutheran Church.

*A resolution authorizing the mayor to seek bids for the electric municipal aggregation program for residential and small businesses was approved.

Per that resolution, “The mayor is authorized and directed to seek bids from responsible low bidders in order to negotiate and enter into a wholesale electricity supply contract for the City on terms as deemed appropriate and with said contract to be in the best interest of the City.

“This process and potential contract shall include residents, qualified small businesses, water department pumping power and city street lighting. Said pricing shall not exceed three (3) years in length and the mayor will report to the city council the outcome of the solicitation as soon as is reasonable possible.”

Per the weekly police activity report for the week of March 28, noted 401 calls for service were received, 116 arrests were made, and officers responded to nine accidents.

The weekly fire department report for the week of March 30 listed a total of 51 EMS calls and 18 fire calls that the department responded to. Six mutual aid calls that involved four aid responses given and seven received. Station No. 2 averaged six minutes and 21 seconds (dispatch to arrival), on fire response calls. None were listed for Station No. 1.

Both stations average six and a half minutes on Emergency Medical, EMS, calls. On “lights and sirens” dispatch to enroute calls, On EMS calls, Station No. 1 had one minute and 53 seconds response time; Station No. 2 had two minutes, nine seconds on EMS calls and two minutes, 19 seconds on fire calls turnout time. Average “time on scene” was 14 minutes, 59 seconds.

The water department continues to replace large commercial meters and install “ERTs.”*

*Definition: “Water ERT® Modules are radio-based endpoints that are attached to new or existing water meters to enable communications for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) or automated meter reading (AMR) system”

A waterman break at N. Second St. and Clifford Ave. was also repaired during the previous week.

Anyone wishing to speak at the city council meeting shall contact the Mayor’s office by 4 p.m. the day of the council meeting at 815-654-5030.