Kankakee Times

Rep. Michael Bennett (R-Pontiac) is emerging as a primary voice for the public safety element of House Republican’s newly proposed Reimagine Illinois plan.

“This is about the public safety element of the Reimagine Plan,” Bennett said during a recent press conference trumpeting the plan. “We need to take steps to protect the public while respecting the rights of all Illinoisans. There are four key steps we can take. First, we need to remove patronage from the process of law enforcement training and make sure that our public safety officials are prepared for their difficult careers. We need to implement a program to recruit and retain the best officers that we can put on the street.”

Bennett said that’s where Reimagine Illinois is set to come in.

“Law enforcement jobs require our best and brightest to apply in order for our state to be protected,” he said of how republicans would like to see the process go in determining who gets to don a badge.

Bennett stressed that’s only a start.

“We also have to address the delays in our FOID card application and renewal processes,” he said. “Law-abiding Illinoisans should not have to run the risk of being in violation just because the state agency is taking far too long to process their paperwork. Responsible gun owners shouldn’t be left waiting at the mercy of flawed system while criminals continue to flout the law.”

Bennett said work needs to be done when it comes to the state’s new bail reform system.

“Illinois has made many changes, and we need to review these changes to examine their impact,” he said. “We should not be releasing violent criminal[s] back onto the street.”