Algonquin Police Chief Calls For National Crime Commission

Algonquin Police Chief Russ Laine is back from Capitol Hill where he joined 200 other top cops Monday to stump for a bill to create a National Criminal Justice Crime Commission.

Laine, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police last year, said one was long overdue since the last time anyone took a broadview look at crime was back in 1965. “This legislation will task a commission with conducting a comprehensive examination of all aspects of the criminal justice system including the prevention of crime, law enforcement, corrections and offender re-entry,” Laine said.

The proposed Commission would look at a broad range of new and emerging challenges confronting law enforcement including cybercrime, non-Mafia organized crime, violent street gangs and homeland security, said Laine. The commission would also take a look at the way technological innovations might affect the criminal justice community, he said.

Earlier this month Laine was in Springfield pushing the Governor to restore cuts to early childhood programs to prevent crime. Illinois law enforcement leaders urged that the state’s preschool and home-visiting programs be protected. Last year they were cut 10 percent cut leaving programs across the state struggling to maintain their services. “It’s penny-wise and pound foolish to scale back the very programs that we know work," said Laine.