New Illinois Bill Redefines “Forcible Felony” In Specific Way

Traffic cameras are about to put in overtime.

We're still several months away from Illinois' legislature's fall session but new ideas are still popping up.

According to Capitol News Illinois, there's been a push from lawmakers to help Illinois State Police crack down on a specific crime. The new bill, HB 3339, sponsored by Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D, Calumet City) adds the offenses of human trafficking and involuntary servitude to the definition of 'forcible felony'.

Currently, Illinois defines 'forcible felony' as this:

treason, first degree murder, second degree murder, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, robbery, burglary, residential burglary, aggravated arson, arson, aggravated kidnaping, kidnaping, aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement and any other felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.

New Way To Enforce It

The bill proposes using traffic cameras to curtail human trafficking. It's an expansion on the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act from 2020. Clayton, a postal worker, was shot and killed on I-57 on her way to work in 2019. State police couldn't get images of the shooting and the investigation into the case is ongoing.

Under the new bill, pictures from automatic license plate readers can go through ISP software to run the license plates through multiple other law enforcement databases, including:

• National Crime Information Center
• Department of Homeland Security
• Illinois Secretary of State and National Amber Alerts

The software will then alert Illinois State Police when they find a match.

Right now, ISP is allowed to use the cameras to track 'forcible felonies', which is why adding human trafficking to that definition is part of the bill.

Another part of the bill requires state police to delete the cameras' pictures from the ISP database within 120 days, except for any plate pictures that are being used in a criminal trial or case.

The bill passed the state House and Senate and waits on the signature from Governor Pritzker.