Illinois added retired deputies and corrections officers (both county and state) to the list of retired law enforcement officers entitled to the Illinois Retired Officer Carry program. IROC allows retired cops to carry pretty much everywhere, which is better than a normal concealed carry license. The downside: they have to quality every year.
However, two-plus months into the new year, a state government agency is dragging its feet on implementing a program to issue those licenses. That’s a violation of state law. But like other gun-related violations of state law in the recent past, there’s really no avenue for holding bureaucrats accountable.
But at least the AP is giving them some bad publicity.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Thousands of law enforcement officers left out when Illinois adopted a federal law allowing police agency retirees to carry concealed weapons saw their fortunes reversed Jan. 1 with a state law granting them permission.
But two months later, they still await the OK to carry firearms in public because the regulatory agency that runs the retiree program isn’t complying with the law.
The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board said conflicting laws render the board powerless to issue concealed carry permits to sheriff’s deputies who worked the jails or monitored courtrooms. But it waited until Jan. 11 — more than a week after the law’s effective date — to seek an opinion from the state attorney general as to how to proceed.
That has drawn the ire of the law’s sponsor, Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat who fired off a blistering letter this month to the board, urging compliance.
“They don’t get to pick and choose what laws to implement and not implement,” Cunningham told The Associated Press. “This is simply a case of a state agency not liking a law and just deciding on their own they’re not going to enforce it.”
Emphasis added.
Big shock. ISP can’t even get FOID cards issued in a timely manner. Thousands went expired for months and month while they jacked around and pled staffing shortages. That’s against the law, too, if laws mattered to state officials and agencies.
It will be different with the gun registrations, though, and God help you if you make the tiniest mistake following through with what is defined in PICA. You will not receive the same pass on the law as the State gets. Don’t even think about putting that 16th round in the magazine, peasant. One-way trip to PMITA prison for you.
I’m kind of tired of all these special classes of people exempt from concealed carry licenses. Why don’t we just go with constitutional carry? Seems to work well for over half the country
Wait – I’m confused. A state lawmaker is going to make a fuss over the state doing illegal things? I clearly remember that didn’t care one bit about the FOID timeliness. They wouldn’t have a double standard! Would they?
Corrections guys are cops now? What’s next? Probation? Meter maids? Dog catchers? Paul Blart, mall cop?