Working for Illinois Caucus

The Rockford Register Star’s election coverage is based on what community members have told us they want to hear the candidates talking about as they compete for votes. (Go to https://ift.tt/30utsnL to see more about our public-powered coverage agenda.)

Today, candidates in the 67th Illinois House District answer a series of questions concerning issues that voters tell us are uppermost in their thinking this year. The candidates are Maurice West II, the Democratic incumbent, and Kathie Hansen, the Republican challenger.

We’re asking the same questions of candidates in other races and will publish their answers in coming days. Candidates also have the opportunity to discuss other issues that are high priorities for them. The candidates’ answers have been lightly edited.

Maurice West II, Democrat

How do you propose to incorporate mental health professionals into the way we police our communities?

Incorporating mental health professionals into the way we police must be a priority throughout our state and the city of Rockford. It begins with mental health advocates and associations coming to the table and developing relationships with law enforcement. Second, it requires the reallocation of police funds with the prioritization and cooperation of police unions. It is also important to educate the community on the importance of 21st century policing methods. We can no longer rely on police and our jails to serve as therapists. Incorporating mental health professionals is known to reduce recidivism, empowering law enforcement to focus their time on keeping communities safe from criminal behavior and building up relationships within the communities they serve.

What do you propose to do to improve the cultural competence of law enforcement?

Short-term action and long-term investments are both necessary to improve the cultural competence of law enforcement. Concerning short-term action, the community must be involved in both the training and accountability of those sworn to serve and protect the public. Our law enforcement officers are fully funded by taxpayers; thus, taxpayers should have a say in how things are implemented within our police departments. Short-term actions include: a community oversight board that has subpoena power, crisis intervention training for law enforcement officers (a bill I am working on) and training programs where advocates and experts train officers on culturally and socially relevant topics. Long-term investments include: intentional recruiting efforts towards people of color, women, and other minority groups and increased community involvement for officers (with specific focus on youth). Though we are living in times of divisiveness, we must come together to better promote the role of law enforcement in society. As more people FROM the community strive to become officers, they will reflect and represent the communities in which they serve.

What is your plan to reform law enforcement to ensure that officers are held accountable for misconduct and to make police disciplinary records transparent to the public?

My primary focus when it comes to police reform is community empowerment. My official statement where I discuss this in detail can be found at mauricewest.com/empowerment. Furthermore, I have both filed and supported legislation that promotes accountability amongst law enforcement and empowers the community I serve as state representative. I’m currently working on a bill that prohibits the destruction of any law enforcement complaints, investigations, and/or adjudication of misconduct. The way it stands now, these records are only kept four years.

How do you propose to safely reenergize the local economy amid the coronavirus pandemic?

It is a top priority to ensure that the lives of all Illinoisans are safe from this virus. However, it is also a top priority to provide relief for our business sector, especially our small business owners. Because no one predicted this virus, it is imperative the state adapts to ease the burden created by the pandemic. I believe we must make it a point to reallocate portions of revenue Illinois generates toward the budget shortfalls throughout Illinois. I will address this by working with the governor’s administration to create a legislative order that will appropriate funds for that purpose. Percentages of revenue that comes from cannabis, gaming and the Fair Tax need to focus on providing COVID relief for businesses and municipalities.

How do you propose to restore a shared sense of responsibility for the common good?

Again, for my constituents, I refer you to my statement concerning community empowerment (mauricewest.com/empowerment). As a leader, it is my responsibility to build bridges during times of division, instead of adding fuel to the fire, and extinguish discord through sound reasoning and thought. As State Representative, it is important my constituents know their voice is heard and I weigh their ideas on values that unite the district and unify our city. My focus isn’t partisan based, but service based upon honesty, responsiveness and compassion for our community.

Discuss one or two other issues that are high priorities for you and how you would address them in office.

Decreasing the skills gap will remain a top priority of mine for my second term. I brought over $2M to our district for this endeavor and it’s important to keep that money coming year by year for our community. Second, making strides for a statewide deferred prosecution program that provides second chances for nonviolent offenders so they can positively contribute to society. I’ve heard many stories from great people that are yet jumping hurdles due to poor decisions made decades ago. We need to focus on restorative justice rather than punitive justice.

Kathie Joe Hansen, Republican

How do you propose to incorporate mental health professionals into the way we police our communities?

I read the story in the Register Star about the co-responder concept that would embed mental health professionals with police officers on domestic violence calls and other calls where situations could be defused. I am supportive of this idea if the person who made the 911 call is considered first in any of these situations.

What do you propose to do to improve the cultural competence of law enforcement?

I think there needs to be more engagement between police officers and the community. There should be more interaction other than just calls for service. Real community policing would include discussions between citizens and police officers so that an environment of understanding is created.

What is your plan to reform law enforcement to ensure that officers are held accountable for misconduct and to make police disciplinary records transparent to the public?

I am comfortable with the current system of internal and external reviews. I do not support making disciplinary records public unless by court order. I do support making supervisors accountable for situations like the one in Minneapolis where a police officer could patrol the streets despite 19 issues on his employment file. This was clearly a management issue when an individual officer with a record like that can interact with the public.

How do you propose to safely reenergize the local economy amid the coronavirus pandemic?

There needs to be a more aggressive effort to open our economy safely. This whole issue has been mishandled from top to bottom. The “science” has been nowhere near established and it has led to decisions being made that are causing more problems. We cannot ask businesses to just shut down and restaurants cannot survive on 25% occupancy.

How do you propose to restore a shared sense of responsibility for the common good?

This is a difficult question because it implies that there is some universal loss of a “shared sense of responsibility for the common good.” Those of us who were raised to understand our responsibilities to community have done so in many ways such as serving in the military, of which I proudly served. Others serve their community by feeding the poor, helping their neighbor, coaching a sports team, and many other ways. I see these types of things happening all the time.

Discuss one or two other issues that are high priorities for you and how you would address them in office.

In Illinois we need to get a handle on our budget issues and hold the line on taxes rather than raising them. We have lost population and jobs to other states that do not have the tax levels that we have here in Illinois. The lost population and jobs have been a severe blow to our state economy and cannot be sustained.

My greatest concern is the tilt of the state politics toward extreme liberal positions like redistribution of wealth and a series of social issue agendas that have brought us taxpayer paid for abortions and other policy positions that are not shared by a large majority of our population.

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