Kendall County Times

State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) recently announced that he is going to introduce legislation that would direct speed camera revenue to Chicago's public safety pensions.

According to a press release, Batinick said the measure would help address the city's current shortage of police officers and other public safety officials. He said the Firemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago only has 21% of the funding it needs, while the Policeman’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago only has 25% of the needed funding.

“Chicago’s public safety pensions need additional resources so that the people who put their lives on the line every day know that their pensions will be there when they retire,” Batinick said in the press release. “This bill will allow the City Council to use speed camera revenue to benefit public safety efforts in Chicago, where it is desperately needed.” 

“Speed cameras are a function of public safety; it just makes sense that the revenue they generate goes back into keeping our streets safe,” he said. “We see an inability to hire public safety employees in Chicago, which is a direct result of the lack of resources provided to make the job desirable. This bill is a new tool I hope the City Council and mayor use in their budgeting process because when it comes to public safety pensions, a bigger investment keeps everyone safer.” 

Ed Wojcicki, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, surveyed members of the association in February and found that "we are at a point of crisis" about recruiting and retaining police officers, according to Police1.  The survey also found that police officer resignations increased by 65% from 2020 to 2021, with 60% of responding agencies reporting that they were not fully staffed.

The Chicago Police Department is understaffed by 1,300 officers, according to CBS News. 

"The reality is that we need to fill the gaps quickly," Chicago police Deputy Chief Migdalia Bulnes said. Bulnes recently traveled to Camp Pendleton near San Diego to recruit former Marines to the Chicago Police Department. Nineteen former Marines applied.