{"id":2321846,"date":"2024-08-09T10:00:05","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T14:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/reforms-after-massey-shooting-could-include-better-police-employment-screening-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-09T10:04:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T14:04:00","slug":"reforms-after-massey-shooting-could-include-better-police-employment-screening-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/reforms-after-massey-shooting-could-include-better-police-employment-screening-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Reforms after Massey shooting could include better police employment screening &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freforms-after-massey-shooting-could-include-better-police-employment-screening-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2321846&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In the aftermath of the \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/feds-charge-chicago-man-with-inciting-a-riot-in-city-with-social-media-posts-encouraging-looting\/\" title=\"Feds Charge Chicago Man With \u2018Inciting A Riot\u2019 In City With Social Media Posts Encouraging Looting\">police-involved shooting<\/a> of \u200bSonya Massey in Springfield, \u2064Illinois, there\u200b is a \u2064growing consensus on the need for reforms \u2062in police hiring procedures.\u200c Illinois Governor\u2064 J.B. Pritzker expressed uncertainty about \u200bthe specific reforms needed, emphasizing the\u200b lack of\u2062 transparency in the local sheriff&#8217;s department.\u2062 Following the incident,\u2063 the deputy involved, Sean Grayson, was terminated\u200c and charged\u2064 with murder. \u2062Pritzker \u200dhas called for the resignation \u2063of Sangamon County Sheriff \u2064Jack Campbell, who maintains \u2063that his hiring practices align with statewide standards and suggests that any deficiencies in these standards should be\u2062 addressed. \u200b <\/p>\n<p>Discussions are \u2063ongoing among Pritzker and other officials, including Jim Kaitschuk from the Illinois Sheriffs\u2019 Association, about potential changes to improve policing practices and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-potential-motive-for-virgina-beach-shooting-released\/\" title=\"Report: Potential motive for Virgina Beach shooting released\">prevent future tragedies<\/a>.\u200c The conversation highlights the rigorous steps currently required for police applicants, but the\u2062 future direction of reforms remains uncertain.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Reforms after Massey shooting could include better police employment screening<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1726559\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; There is agreement from all sides about the need for reforms for how police are hired in Illinois, but what reforms there need to be is still unclear.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. J.B. Pritzker continued taking questions Thursday about the aftermath of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-considers-demanding-cops-ask-for-permission-before-chasing-suspects-on-foot\/\" title=\"Chicago Considers Demanding Cops Ask For Permission Before Chasing Suspects On Foot\">police-involved shooting death<\/a> of Sonya Massey last month in Springfield by then-Sangamon County sheriff&rsquo;s deputy Sean Grayson, and what policies could change to prevent such events in the future.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are ideas that are floating around. I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s a bill that anybody has put together. It&rsquo;s hard to tell exactly what can be done especially when there isn&rsquo;t transparency in the sheriff&rsquo;s department,&rdquo; Pritzker said after cutting the ribbon on the 2024 Illinois State Fair in Springfield.<\/p>\n<p>Pritzker has called for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign. Campbell has refused, saying he&rsquo;s working to find ways to reform the system to keep bad actors out of policing.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The one responsible is in jail and will never work in law enforcement again,&rdquo; Campbell said in a statement Wednesday. &ldquo;Calls for my resignation are nothing more than political maneuvering during a tragic event and only hurt the good citizens of Sangamon County.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Grayson was fired shortly after the shooting and charged with murder.<\/p>\n<p>Campbell said his office used a hiring process they believed was consistent with statewide standards.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If these standards are deficient, we would advocate a change at all necessary levels,&rdquo; Campbell said.<\/p>\n<p>Separately Thursday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Sheriffs&rsquo; Association Executive Director Jim Kaitschuk talk about what kinds of reforms there could be in the aftermath of the police-involved Sonya Massey shooting in Springfield last month.BlueRoomStream, Greg Bishop | The Center Square<\/p>\n<p>Illinois Sheriffs&rsquo; Association Executive Director Jim Kaitschuk said there could be reforms, but what those reforms look like isn&rsquo;t quite clear.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But we&rsquo;re going to go through a process to try to examine that thoroughly and make sure that we can make changes that are helpful to the profession and bring more good people back in,&rdquo; Kaitschuk told The Center Square Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Someone wanting to get into law enforcement goes through a rigorous series of steps that includes no felonies, written and physical tests, psychological exams and lie detectors, Kaitschuk said. Once a merit commission grants eligibility, and the applicant completes class and field training, they can then be hired.<\/p>\n<p>Pritzker said the former deputy, Sean Grayson, had an abysmal employment history.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These are questions that a sheriff who&rsquo;s hiring somebody ought to be asking,&rdquo; Pritzker said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know whether he asked those questions. It seems to me he could not have. If he had he would have learned a lot.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>As to possible blindspots for employment histories, that&rsquo;s something Kaitschuk said should be examined.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Maybe there&rsquo;s a process where there has to be a release of information provided by that individual, the applicant, that says &lsquo;hey give all my information out&rsquo; and then the agency that has the information, make sure they make the request that&rsquo;s required,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s some things that could be looked at there.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s expected the issue could be discussed further by state legislators heading into fall veto session after the November election.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;With that said, I hate for this situation to be politicized, and that&rsquo;s what I feel like some of this is occurring now and I think that, again, let&rsquo;s focus on how we can make things better for everybody,&rdquo; Kaitschuk said.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1726559\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1726559\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reforms following the Massey shooting may involve improved police hiring practices (The Center Square) \u2013 There is a consensus on the necessity for reforms in police hiring procedures in Illinois, although the specific changes required remain uncertain. Governor J.B. Pritzker addressed inquiries on Thursday regarding the implications of last month&#8217;s police-related shooting death of Sonya Massey in Springfield by former Sangamon County sheriff&#8217;s deputy Sean Grayson, discussing potential policy adjustments to avert similar incidents in the future. &#8220;There are various ideas being considered, but no concrete bill has been proposed yet. It&#8217;s challenging to determine what can be done without transparency from the sheriff&#8217;s department,&#8221; Pritzker stated after inaugurating the 2024 Illinois State Fair in Springfield. He has urged Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign; however, Campbell has declined, asserting that he is working towards reforming systems to exclude problematic individuals from law enforcement. &#8220;The individual responsible is incarcerated and will never serve in law enforcement again,&#8221; Campbell remarked on Wednesday. &#8220;Calls for my resignation are merely political tactics during a tragic situation and ultimately harm the residents of Sangamon County.&#8221; Grayson was dismissed shortly after the incident and charged with murder. Campbell noted that his office followed a hiring process they believed aligned with state standards: &#8220;If these standards are inadequate, we would support necessary changes at all levels.&#8221; On Thursday, both Governor Pritzker and Jim Kaitschuk, Executive Director of the Illinois Sheriffs\u2019 Association discussed potential reforms following Sonya Massey&#8217;s shooting by police last month. Kaitschuk acknowledged that while reforms might be possible, their specifics remain unclear: \u201cWe will undertake a thorough examination process to ensure any changes benefit law enforcement and attract more qualified individuals,\u201d he told The Center Square on Thursday. Aspiring law enforcement officers must navigate a stringent selection process involving background checks for felonies, written exams, physical tests, psychological evaluations, and lie detector tests before being deemed eligible by a merit commission; only then can they undergo training before being hired.<\/p>\n<p>Pritzker pointed out that Grayson had an alarming employment history: \u201cThese are critical questions that should be asked by any sheriff during recruitment,\u201d he said. \u201cI doubt those questions were posed; otherwise significant issues would have been uncovered.\u201d Regarding potential gaps in reviewing employment histories, Kaitschuk suggested exploring processes requiring applicants to authorize information releases about themselves: \u201cPerhaps there should be protocols ensuring agencies request necessary information,\u201d he proposed.<\/p>\n<p>This topic is anticipated to receive further attention from state legislators as they approach their fall veto session post-November elections. Kaitschuk expressed concern over politicizing this issue amidst calls for reform: \u201cI dislike seeing this situation turned into political discourse; we should concentrate on improving conditions for everyone involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2321847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP23291684603724-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37657,37658,35975,10138,32076],"class_list":["post-2321846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-massey-shooting","tag-police-employment-screening","tag-public-safety","tag-reforms","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP23291684603724-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2321846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2321846"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2321846\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2321847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2321846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2321846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2321846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}