HR0184 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0184 LRB095 11448 KXB 32372 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives, in recognition and appreciation of the outstanding police work performed by the Secretary of State Capitol Police officers, congratulate and commend the Secretary of State and each member of the State Capitol Police Department for their hard work and dedication; and

WHEREAS, The State Capitol Police Department was created in the wake of a very tragic incident; what was conceived was a police agency that would not only secure the Capitol complex, but also respond to any criminal activity that occurred within and immediately around the boundaries of the complex, a mission that the members of the Capitol Police Department admirably strive to complete on a daily basis; in addition to securing the State Capitol, the State Capitol Police officers have made over 200 arrests ranging from drug charges to unlawful use and possession of weapons in the first year of operations; and

WHEREAS, An extraordinary element of performing their duties not often mentioned is for the officers to put themselves in harms way to protect the State Capitol and those doing business within the Capitol itself, including members of the General Assembly and other elected officials; in the event another tragic situation, like the one that took the life of security guard Bill Wozniak, should occur again, it is the Capitol Police who will be putting themselves in harms way; it will be the Capitol Police who will be thrust head first to meet the threat, allowing others to seek safety, and it will be the Capitol Police who will be called upon to stand fast confronting the threat without regard to their own safety so that others will not be harmed; and

WHEREAS, The Secretary of State initially staffed this police force with certified police officers; in doing so he was able to immediately construct a police agency with highly trained and experienced officers; to date the Capitol Police Department has a combined experience level of over 485 years; and

WHEREAS, The Capitol Police bring with them several hundreds of hours of specialized training, in areas such as Field Training Officers, Juveniles Officers, Defensive Tactics Instructors, Swat team members, Firearms Instructors, Investigators, and Drug enforcement officers, not to mention experience in related fields such as corrections, firefighting, medical support, military backgrounds, and administrative duties; many of the Capitol Police Officers have held supervisory positions from sergeant to chiefs of police and have worked closely with city councils, county boards, and other governing bodies; several officers also have performed administrative duties from scheduling to budgeting in various sized police agencies; the officers of the Capitol Police bring with them a very well rounded amount of experience and training, at no cost to the Secretary of State's office or the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the Capitol Police not just as a security force but as a highly experienced and trained police agency, staffed with intelligent and dedicated people willing to make the Capitol Police a shining example of law enforcement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and to each officer within the Secretary of State Capitol Police Department.