SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) passed a measure to provide law enforcement officers with additional tools and training opportunities to help keep communities safe.

“One message that I frequently hear across the district is that public safety and a rise in crime continue to be a major concern,” Morrison said. “Yet staffing shortages are hindering police from best protecting their communities.

Morrison is the Senate sponsor of House Bill 3863, which would create the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Fund to support departments through the hiring and training processes and help with retention strategies.

The measure would provide grants to law enforcement agencies for hiring and retention of officers. Funds could also be used for mental health care for officers, safety equipment and training, or improvements in jails. Mental health services for inmates could also be funded through this grant.

“The measures I have introduced can help keep our communities safer,” Morrison said. “These efforts support the valuable work that law enforcement does in our communities and in our state every day and every hour.”

Morrison is also supporting a number of other measures this session to help law enforcement officers. Body cameras are critical for keeping officers safe as well as improving evidence quality and reducing liability for agencies. House Bill 4608 would for video retention for evidentiary value and allows grant funds to be used for data storage costs.

In an effort to improve the correctional system and reduce recidivism, House Bill 4364 would create the Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention Fund which would allow the Department of Human Services to offer grants and programs in county jails for incarcerated individuals or people who have been recently released.

Morrison’s House Bill 3863 passed the Senate Thursday.