Rep. Martin McLaughlin's (R-Barrington Hills) district includes McHenry County, which is home to 30 police departments that serve the county’s more than 300,000 residents, according to CountyOffice.org. | Martin McLaughlin
Rep. Martin McLaughlin's (R-Barrington Hills) district includes McHenry County, which is home to 30 police departments that serve the county’s more than 300,000 residents, according to CountyOffice.org. | Martin McLaughlin
State Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) observed National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, calling for support for measures to help police officers.
According to the website NationalDayCalendar.com, National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, celebrated on Jan. 9, was created in 2015 and supported by organizations such as Concerns of Police Survivors, FBI National Academy Associates and Fraternal Order of Police.
“Here’s a shout out to all those who leave their families every day to go out and protect ours,” McLaughlin Tweeted. “Here’s to their safe return to their families each and every day and night! Let’s continue to support legislation that empowers our officers to do their jobs effectively.”
McLaughlin’s remarks came just as several of the U.S.’s largest cities struggle to with police recruitment and retention.
Jim Burch, the president of the nonpartisan and nonprofit National Police Foundation, said that law enforcement agencies have had recruiting woes “for many years,” according to Newsweek.
"I think what is a little bit different about it today is, we have a continuing recruitment—I'll call it a crisis. But at the same time, we have an attrition problem," Burch told the publication.
As the third-largest city in the U.S. in terms of population, Chicago for a long time has grappled with a soaring crime rate. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who once pushed for police to be defunded by $80 million, last month pleaded with the federal government to provide law enforcement reinforcements to the city to combat rampant crime.
Nashville’s FOX 17 reported that Lightfoot is among the a number of mayors who were prompted to have second thoughts on reducing or eliminating their police forces’ budgets as crimes increase.
McLaughlin’s district includes McHenry County, which is home to 30 police departments that serve the county’s more than 300,000 residents, according to CountyOffice.org.
NeighborhoodScout.com reported that the odds of being a victim of a violent crime in McHenry are one in 798, while the odds of being a victim of a violent crime in Illinois as a whole are one in 239.
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