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State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, has introduced House Bill
1611 that would prevent the use of no-knock warrants on drug
offenders unless there is evidence that they are dealers.
Buckner said he was inspired by an incident in 2019 when Chicago
police served a no-knock warrant at the home of Anjanette Young.
Young was handcuffed while police searched her residence. It was
revealed that police had the wrong address.
Young was not injured during the incident but filed a federal
lawsuit in 2021. The city of Chicago settled for $2.9 million
later that year.
“At its core this bill is about safety,” said Buckner. “Safety
for families and safety for law enforcement officers who deserve
clarity, consistency and support when carrying out dangerous
duties.”
The measure also states that police are only able to execute the
warrant between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. unless the judge,
for good cause, expressly authorizes execution at another time.
State Rep. Dennis Tipsword, R-Metamora, who is a police officer,
said serving a warrant during the day could be a problem.
“When we get into those afternoon hours, now we’ve got kids on
the street, extra traffic in the neighborhoods where response
vehicles may have to come down, just a lot more folks in the
area,” Tipsword said during a House committee Tuesday.
The proposed legislation also would require that officers knock
and wait at least 30 seconds before they enter the dwelling.
Illinois State Rifle Association's Ed Sullivan said his group
was never a fan of a majority of no-knock warrants in the first
place.
“I don’t know why we want to put my members and law enforcement
in harm's way so for that, we support this bill,” said Sullivan.
The measure passed out of the House Judiciary Criminal Law
Committee. Buckner said he will continue conversations with
stakeholders before taking it to the House floor.
Greg Bishop contributed to this report.
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