Thousands of law enforcement officers left out when Illinois adopted a federal law allowing police agency retirees to carry concealed weapons saw their fortunes reversed Jan. 1 with a state law granting them permission.
"They don’t get to pick and choose what laws to implement and not implement," Cunningham told The Associated Press. "This is simply a case of a state agency not liking a law and just deciding on their own they’re not going to enforce it."
While the 2004 act requires a 10-year career, the standards board also stipulates that the officer’s work consist primarily of crime prevention and detection. Officials also contend correctional officers spend less time in firearms training, but the officers themselves say they have to requalify with their weapons annually just like their colleagues. And, they say they face threats from ex-offenders they meet on the street, just like other officers.
Smoot, while he couldn’t be specific, said staff had been in contact last year with legislators and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s staff. Board Executive Director Keith Calloway did not return a call seeking comment. Since his 2015 retirement, the board’s prohibition has flummoxed Marcus Hargrett, whose 35-year career as a Cook County sheriff’s correctional officer saw him patrolling the nation’s largest single-site jail and making necessary arrests. The 64-year-old Hargrett of Chicago qualified for concealed carry under the federal law, but the Illinois rules barred him. His agitation over the issue helped spur the legislation.
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