No serious politician in Naperville is going to campaign on opposing our police and fire services! Before recent events, it wouldn’t even be a thought. 

 

In respect to the national conversation on defunding police—or more accurately, splitting out those functions that might better be performed by non-police resources—there is no one-size-fits-all solution. For Naperville, our services, overall, perform well. Our police and fire resources are essential and valued, and their operations are widely respected—particularly as a number of desired improvements have already been implemented. 

 

Are they above scrutiny? No. Ongoing improvement has, and will continue to be, part of what makes our police and fire services an asset to the community. City Council action to end the police budget will not happen.

 

One improvement I look forward to backing as your councilman is the use of police body cameras as a tool protect both the public and our officers. While the recent state reform law requires them, there is no penalty for a city that refuses to comply. The onus is on Naperville to both acquire them, stand behind their usage and maintain a digital storage system. 

 

It’s what the public wants, it’s what’s in everyone’s best interests and it must be approved!