KOTOWSKI URGES COUNTIES TO DO THEIR PART FOR GUN SAFETY

SPRINGFIELD– Earlier this year, Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) called on circuit court judges to comply with the law requiring the reporting of people determined to be a danger to themselves and others to the Illinois State Police. As of today, only 34 out of 102 circuit courts have reported these cases.

State law requires that circuit court judges direct their clerks to report cases to the state police when a person is considered "mentally defective" or involuntarily committed to a mental hospital. The state police use these records when doing background checks on Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card applicants and when processing firearm purchases or transactions.

Since Kotowski worked to raise awareness on the lack of reporting, there has been an improvement. To increase reporting, the State Police’s bureau chief of firearm services is meeting with all the counties to implement these requirements.

“Not reporting these cases presents a clear danger to public safety,” Kotowski said. “This past year we have seen too many tragedies happen in this country when guns fall into the hand of people unfit to carry them.  Compliance with this law is a must.”

The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently declared the restrictions on people carrying loaded concealable handguns in Illinois unconstitutional, giving the state until June to come up with a proposal to determine the time and places where carrying guns would be appropriate. It is still unclear what this new law will look like, but soon Illinois residents will be able to apply for a permit to carry loaded weapons in public.

Senator Kotowski will continue to call on circuit court judges to take immediate action and get this important public health and safety information to the State Police.

The counties still not reporting cases of mental defect are:

Alexander,Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Lawrence, Lee, McDonough, McHenry, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, Menard, Monroe, Montgomery ,Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermillion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Woodford

Related article:  http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130302/news/703029911/