Illinois recently passed a law that restricted firearms rights. The majority of the sheriffs in the state announced that they will not devote any resources to enforcing that law.
Selective enforcement of the Law
There are 820 Chapters in the Illinois Compiled Statutes Book.
Popping open a single chapter reveals the following sub-headings:
720 ILCS 105/ Abandoned Children Prevention Act. (Repealed by P.A. 88-479)720 ILCS 110/ Communications Consumer Privacy Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 115/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Cruelty to Children Offense) (Repealed by P.A. 88-479; 89-234)720 ILCS 120/ Hazing Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1109)720 ILCS 125/ Hunter and Fishermen Interference Prohibition Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 130/ Neglected Children Offense Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1109)720 ILCS 135/ Harassing and Obscene Communications Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 140/ Taxpreparer Disclosure of Information Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 535/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 145/ Telecommunication Line Tapping Act.720 ILCS 150/ Wrongs to Children Act.720 ILCS 205/ Aircraft Crash Parts Act. (Moved to 620 ILCS 70/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 210/ Animal Registration Under False Pretenses Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 215/ Animal Research and Production Facilities Protection Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 220/ Appliance Tag Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 302/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 225/ Auction Sales Sign Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 303/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 230/ Business Use of Military Terms Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 235/ Coin Slug Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-597)720 ILCS 240/ Conditional Sales Protection Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 245/ Construction Equipment Identification Defacement Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 250/ Illinois Credit Card and Debit Card Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 255/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Pawners Society Name) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 260/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Fraudulent Conveyance) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 265/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (False Corporate Name) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 270/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Fraudulent Stock) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 275/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Insurance Law Violation) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 280/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Fraudulent Inheritance) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 285/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Utility Meter Tampering) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 290/ Deceptive Sale of Gold and Silver Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 295/ Deceptive Advertising Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 300/ Derogatory Statements About Banks Act.720 ILCS 305/ Gasoline Price Advertising Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 310/ Governmental Uneconomic Practices Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 315/ Horse Mutilation Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 320/ Horse Racing False Entries Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 325/ Insurance Claims for Excessive Charges Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 330/ Loan Advertising to Bankrupts Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 185/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 335/ Marks and Serial Numbers Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 340/ Sale of Maps Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 345/ Sale or Pledge of Goods by Minors Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 407/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 350/ Sale Price Ad Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 408/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 355/ Stallion and Jack Pedigree Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 360/ Telephone Line Interference Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-597)720 ILCS 365/ Telephone Charge Fraud Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-597)720 ILCS 370/ Telephone Coin Box Tampering Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-597)720 ILCS 375/ Ticket Sale and Resale Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 414/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 380/ Title Page Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 417/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 385/ Uneconomic Practices Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 423/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 390/ Use of University Stationery Act. (Repealed by P.A. 96-1551)720 ILCS 395/ Video Movie Sales and Rentals Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 400/ Wild Plant Conservation Act. (Moved to 525 ILCS 47/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 505/ Abandoned Refrigerator Act. (Moved to 430 ILCS 150/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 510/ Illinois Abortion Law of 1975. (Repealed by P.A. 101-13)720 ILCS 513/ Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act. (Repealed by P.A. 101-13)720 ILCS 515/ Illinois Abortion Parental Consent Act of 1977. (Repealed by P.A. 89-18)720 ILCS 520/ Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1983. (Repealed by P.A. 89-18)720 ILCS 525/ Adoption Compensation Prohibition Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1109)720 ILCS 530/ Aerial Exhibitors Safety Act. (Moved to 820 ILCS 270/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 535/ Air Rifle Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 540/ Bail Bond False Statement Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 542/ Bath Salts Prohibition Act.720 ILCS 545/ Boarding Aircraft With Weapon Act. (Repealed by 96-710)720 ILCS 550/ Cannabis Control Act.720 ILCS 555/ Child Curfew Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1109)720 ILCS 560/ Illinois Clean Public Elevator Air Act. (Moved to 410 ILCS 83/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 565/ Container Label Obliteration Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 570/ Illinois Controlled Substances Act.720 ILCS 575/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Diseased Animals At Large) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 580/ Criminal Jurisprudence Act. (Common Carriers Carelessness) (Repealed by P.A. 89-234)720 ILCS 585/ Illinois Dangerous Animals Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 590/ Discrimination in Sale of Real Estate Act.720 ILCS 595/ Draft Card Mutilation Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 600/ Drug Paraphernalia Control Act.720 ILCS 602/ Ephedra Prohibition Act.720 ILCS 605/ Excavation Fence Act. (Moved to 430 ILCS 165/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 610/ Feeding Garbage to Animals Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 615/ Fire Extinguisher Service Act. (Moved to 425 ILCS 17/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 620/ Flag Desecration Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 625/ Grain Coloring Act. (Moved to 505 ILCS 86/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 630/ Service Animal Access Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 635/ Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act.720 ILCS 640/ Improper Supervision of Children Act.720 ILCS 642/ Kratom Control Act.720 ILCS 645/ Legislative Misconduct Act. (Repealed by P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 646/ Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act.720 ILCS 647/ Methamphetamine Precursor Retail Sale Control Act. (Repealed by P.A. 94-694)720 ILCS 648/ Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act.720 ILCS 649/ Methamphetamine Precursor Tracking Act.720 ILCS 650/ Nitroglycerin Transportation Act. (Moved to 430 ILCS 32/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 655/ Outdoor Lighting Installation Act. (Moved to 430 ILCS 155/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 660/ Party Line Emergency Act. (Moved to 220 ILCS 66/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 665/ Peephole Installation Act. (Moved to 430 ILCS 160/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 668/ Retail Sale and Distribution of Novelty Lighters Prohibition Act. (Moved to 815 ILCS 406/; see P.A. 97-1108)720 ILCS 670/ Sale of Immoral Publications to Children Act.720 ILCS 675/ Prevention of Tobacco Use by Persons under 21 Years of Age and Sale and Distribution of Tobacco Products Act.720 ILCS 677/ Display of Tobacco Products Act.720 ILCS 678/ Prevention of Cigarette and Electronic Cigarette Sales to Persons under 21 Years of Age Act.720 ILCS 680/ Smokeless Tobacco Limitation Act. (Repealed by P.A. 101-2)720 ILCS 685/ Tobacco Accessories and Smoking Herbs Control Act.720 ILCS 690/ Use of Intoxicating Compounds Act.Looking at just ONE of those acts:
Illinois Controlled Substances Act, 720 ILCS 570 contains over 45,000 words and 313,000 characters (including huge numbers of punctuation marks, a single one of which can vastly change the meaning of the text).
So picture yourself standing in your County Sheriff's boots, looking over his motley assortment of deputies who stand as the thin-blue line between chaos and order in your county.
Do you tell Deputies to enforce every law on the Illinois books? If you do, you just gave them permission to be totally arbitrary in their enforcement because you gave them an impossible task. It is IMPOSSIBLE to KNOW all of the details of every law in the State of Illinois much less enforce them.
Or do you give them specific areas-of-focus based on the current threat profile to YOUR county. For example, do you have your Briefing Sergeant tell them "The surrounding counties are seeing an uptick in various types of uppers coming from the southern part of the state. Pay particular attention to drivers whose plates have these first three letters (gives list) because those were issued by the Cairo Secretary-of-State office. If you get any kind of bad vibe, call for back-up and let the driver soak until back-up shows up."
Population density
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Population density of Illinois
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Homicide rates in Illinois, 2016-2020 that involved the use of a firearm. Data pulled from CDC Wonder system
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Looking at the table shown above, is it fair to state that the priorities in Effingham County, Illinois are different than those in the City of Chicago?
I dunno Joe. I think that if the day comes where cops start grabbing guns, they'll either get shot in the face, or alienate the public so bad that no one will cooperate with them at all. You can either work with your people or against them.
ReplyDeleteIt puts the cops in a very bad place, especially when the Prosecuting Attorneys in the regions with the highest homicide rates REFUSE to prosecute firearm felonies "...because they disproportionately impact peoples-of-color..."
DeleteOne of my firearm instructors named John Farnam said there were only two crimes. As a DSO he said they were misdemeanor stupid and felony stupid. I tend to agree.
ReplyDeleteIt's all well and good that they won't enforce it, but I've seen nothing saying that they'll stand between you and ATF, FBI, etc. if they come to take your guns. As usual, you're on your own.
ReplyDeleteLocal cops almost always accompany the "Feds" on a raid. They may be backup or other support but you can bet your "good ol' boy" sheriff will almost almost agree to provide bodies..
DeleteHe wants to be seen as a "team player".
They aren't as good a defender of liberty as so many proclaim. It's easy for them (sheriffs) to crow now....but when rubber meets the road, you're just roadkill 'possum.
My personal opinion on laws is the enforcement officials must enforce every single law on the books, at all times. No selective enforcement should be allowed. If you can't enforce it, it shouldn't be in the books. We got way too many laws, I would hope that would help to pare them down.
ReplyDeleteIts so bad today with the conflicting laws on the books that 'targeted' enforcement of threats in your jurisdiction are about the only way to go. There aren't enough hours in the day to get everybody up to speed on ALL of the laws.
ReplyDeleteIt has been my experience when around them and talking with them (liberals), especially the very smart ones, they are incapable of empathizing, imaging what its like in someone else's shoes. But why doesn't ____ want to listen to my great idea (i.e. Do what I tell them with their life)? It would be a wonderful opportunity for them?
ReplyDeleteWhen the total body of law exceeds the capacity of a six year old to completely memorize, there is no rule of law, and no obligation to obey the law.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of almost all laws is not to serve society. The purpose is to turn normal people into criminals....often inadvertently. It's much easier to justify controlling criminals than citizens. So you make citizens into criminals by passing so many laws it's impossible to avoid becoming a criminal.
ReplyDeleteIf you are charged with one violation of law, you have a good chance of getting off since the Biden of proof lies with the prosecutor. If you are charged with a laundry list of violations of these seemingly arbitrary laws the prosecution has significantly more leverage to compel you to plea.
ReplyDeleteBurden lol
ReplyDelete