One consequence of the continuing state budget crisis is that local police departments have had to cut back or eliminate in-service training sessions for officers.
The cancelled classes cover topics ranging from sensitivity to the mentally ill to the proper use of force.
In 2014, state funding training was given to 57-thousand officers around the state. The organization that conducts the training maintains the state has the money, but the authorization to spend it is lacking without a budget.
Jacksonville Police Chief Tony Grootens was asked during this morning’s meeting about the situation.
“They’re still having the police academy for new hires, but it does affect us in the schools through the MTUs because they’ve been cancelling because of the lack of funding,” Grootens says. “So, we have officers scheduled for the schools, and they can’t go because there’s no funding available now. I understand that they’re making moves to try to get funding pretty quick.”
Illinois is nearly three months into the new fiscal year without an operating budget.
Wire sources contributed to this story.