Archive for February, 2014

Miss. awards more school security grants

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The state Board of Education has awarded school security grants to 24 more Mississippi school districts, but still hasn’t managed to spend even half the $5 million that the state Legislature appropriated for the program in 2013.

The board voted Friday to award $630,000. The Lauderdale County school district got the most money, $80,000.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves spurred lawmakers last year to set aside $5 million for grants paying $10,000 each toward armed school resource officers. The program was meant as the state’s response to the Newtown, Conn., school shooting. Local districts must at least match the money, although an officer would typically cost more than $20,000 a year.

With $1.57 million awarded earlier, a total of $2.2 million has been disbursed. Of the 151 school districts in Mississippi, 73 have now received money from the Mississippi Community Oriented Policing Services programs. A total of 220 officers have been funded during the current budget year, which ends June 30.

“The demand for MCOPS grants illustrates the need communities have in keeping their campuses safe,” Reeves, a Republican, said in a statement Friday. “School is a place where children should know they are safe, and MCOPS is a way for the state and local communities to join forces to protect children and address parents’ concerns.”

Bill Welch, the Department of Education official overseeing grants, said every district that applied received money.

“They all met the criteria,” he told members of the Board of Education on Thursday.

Welch said that if lawmakers would roll over the remainder of last year’s appropriation, the state could give another year of grants to current recipients.

“The funds would be available to do another round,” he said.

Lawmakers currently propose to allot $5.5 million for the program in the 2015 budget, although those numbers are subject to change as budget talks continue.

Some districts have said they didn’t apply because their officers don’t fill all the roles required by the grants. They include not only providing security and writing a crisis response plan, but serving as a “law-related educator,” teaching character education programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), mentoring at-risk students and acting as a liaison with the local youth court.

Among the state’s five largest districts by enrollment, Harrison County was the only one that applied. DeSoto County, Jackson city, Rankin County and Madison County did not.

Pearl Public Schools also did not apply. The Rankin County district experienced Mississippi’s worst school shooting in 1997 when Luke Woodham, a 16-year-old student at Pearl High School, shot and killed two students and injured seven others after killing his mother in his home.

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A southwest suburban doctor has been charged with dispensing prescription medications illegally and fraudulently billing Medicare, according to federal authorities.

Sathish Narayanappa Babu, 47, of Bolingbrook, was arrested Wednesday by federal agents after officials from numerous agencies searched his residence and his Darien office, according to a news release Thursday from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Agents seized more than $100,000 from the bank accounts of Babu’s company, Anik Life Sciences Medical Corp., according to the release.

Babu was charged with one count each of conspiracy to illegally dispense a controlled substance and health care fraud, according to the release.

He was subsequently released on a $100,000 unsecured bond and prohibited from writing any prescriptions or submitting any Medicare claims, the release said.

Babu is due back in court Tuesday.

Calls to multiple phone numbers listed on the Anik website were not returned Thursday.

Babu “knowingly prescribed” controlled substances, including oxycodone, to a patient who was actually an undercover agent from November 2012 to December 2013, despite never having seen nor examined the patient, according to the complaint.

Babu also permitted unlicensed personnel associated with Anik Life Sciences to issue prescriptions to the agent in the doctor’s name, the complaint states.

Babu billed Medicare for services provided to the agent and received a total of approximately $1,657, for services that were not rendered by Babu or any other medical professional licensed in Illinois, according to the complaint.

The undercover agent pretended to be a healthy person covered by Medicare who was looking to obtain prescriptions for medications including oxycodone, according to the complaint.

Anik personnel visited the agent at his apartment approximately 10 times, according to the complaint.

None of the personnel were licensed as physicians, nurses or other medical professionals in Illinois, according to the complaint.

One Anik representative who visited the agent at the apartment told the agent he was a doctor but had in fact been employed by “various parking garage companies” in 2010 and 2011, the complaint states.

Conspiracy to illegally dispense oxycodone carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, while health care fraud carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the release announcing Babu’s arrest.
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In a response to a few recent incidents in the community, Northbrook police are warning residents of scammers who have become more technologically savvy and harder to track.

“They are able to use the web now to choose their victims,” said Scott Dunham, deputy chief of Northbrook’s police department, speaking at a Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday. “Social networking sites are proving to be a fertile ground for them.”

On Feb. 16 and Feb. 17, two Northbrook residents, one on the 1000 block of Springhill Drive and one on the 3100 block of River Falls, reported receiving calls from a person pretending to be their grandson and requesting money, authorities said. Neither resident fell for the scam.

Over the past two years, Northbrook has seen a total of 18 similar incidents, according to Daniel Petka, a spokesman for the Northbrook Police Department.

In three incidents out of 18, the victims actually transferred money to the scammers, he said.

“The important thing is to be more inquisitive,” Petka said, adding that the scammers usually tend to call early morning or during the night, trying to catch the victims at their most vulnerable time.

Scammers can mine social media sites to determine whether their victims have any family members and then impersonate them over the phone, asking for money, according to officials.

“It’s come to a point now that we believe (criminals) are actually trading roster lists of people they have successfully scammed so they can follow up with another one,” Dunham said.

Northbrook Village President Sandra Frum asked whether police are able to correlate some burglaries with residents posting information about their vacations on the social media.

Dunham said while it’s hard to make those connections, the police consistently warn people about posting sensitive information, such as travel schedules, online.

Northbrook officials said they would release in an upcoming village newsletter more information on how to avoid becoming a victim of a phone scam.

Dunham said residents should make sure their online profiles have privacy restrictions.

In general, Dunham said, residents should limit broadcasting sensitive information through the social media.

“You shouldn’t be releasing something you’d be uncomfortable with placing on a billboard on Michigan Avenue,” Dunham said.

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NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio – From the Columbine shooting to the Newtown massacre, these tragedies have shaped the way we look at school safety.

It’s a topic that’s on the minds of many educators.

“In all the emergency situations you’ve seen around the country, time is of the essence,” said Edward Vittardi.

He’s the principal at St. Albert the Great Elementary School in North Royalton.

His staff was recently armed with a new device called the Tattletale Panic Button. All of them were paid for using grant money.

“As soon as they press the button, the police department gets notification of where the emergency button was pressed and they then can get to the school as quickly as possible,” Vittardi said.

The device is only meant for major emergencies, like if there’s an intruder. That’s a scenario Kelly Beskid hopes to never experience. She’s a teacher at St. Albert.

“I started teaching 15 years ago, and I never thought that being a teacher would have to be saving some kid’s life,” she said.

It’s difficult to set off the device accidentally — that’s because both buttons need to be pressed in order for police to come.

They’re not the only ones notified, so is the principal and on site security.

Beskid said knowing that, brings a sense of relief.

“It’s much faster than using a cellphone and entering a pass code and everything. Plus, we have it on our bodies and it`s right there for us if we were any kind of trouble like that,” she said.

St. Albert is the first school in the area to try out this device.

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BRAZIL — Soon, Clay Community Schools Corp. will have a districtwide video surveillance system in place that will enable a few school officials — and eventually law enforcement — to monitor nearly 300 cameras at 15 facilities, should security issues arise.

In November, the district awarded a $484,500 contract to Tech Electronics of Indiana to install the high-definition security cameras and software. So far, the company has completed installation at Clay City Elementary, Clay City Junior-Senior High School, Northview High School and North Clay Middle School.

The goal was to complete work by late-February, but because of bad weather, the goal is now the end of March, said Mike Howard, Clay Community schools director of extended services.

With school violence happening all too frequently across the nation, the changes are being made “to keep our students and staff as safe as possible,” he said.

When completed, the indoor and outdoor cameras will be installed throughout the district’s seven elementary schools, middle school, junior/senior high school, high school and five department buildings.

Howard said the new system enables him to access the cameras through his mobile devices and home computer. “I could be in Florida and see what is going on in a cafeteria, gym or hallway” in Clay schools, he said.

Eventually, local law enforcement will be given access to the live camera feeds so they can see what is going on before they arrive on scene, if a security matter should arise, Howard said. Dispatch personnel would have access, as would police through laptop computers in their patrol cars.

Dispatch would be able to monitor the situation and send officers to the appropriate entrance or location, Howard said. He anticipates police will have access by this summer.

Video could be used to investigate and resolve security or disciplinary matters.

The district has used its “rainy day” funds to purchase the surveillance system, something the school board approved, Howard said.

Asked about privacy issues, he said the cameras won’t go in classrooms, locker rooms or restrooms. The cameras will be placed in hallways, common spaces, outside and at interior entrances. Exterior cameras will provide a 360-degree view of buildings’ perimeters, Howard said.

Each principal will have access to surveillance cameras in his or her building only, not to other buildings. Access to the districtwide surveillance system will be limited to a few central office administrators and include Howard, technology director Bill Milner and Superintendent Kim Tucker. It will be used only if “there is an issue or a need,” Howard said.

Video from 36 cameras can be shown on a single screen at one time, he noted. If there is movement in front of a camera, the camera is recording.

The system has a minimum storage capacity of 30 days of video and the server has 105 terabytes of capacity, which is “astronomical,” Howard said.

Jeff Watson, director of Tech Electronics of Indiana, said the new surveillance system “is unique for this district because it enables multiple users in physically different locations to view live and recorded images wirelessly from anywhere on the network.”

Jeff Birchler, a Tech Electronics account manager, said the new system puts “more eyes in more places” and can translate into quicker response times. “It just helps out in general for the entire flow of security,” he said.

The HD cameras being installed have better quality video that can help with identification of people, when needed, Birchler said.

Last summer, Tech Electronics added 21 entrances at Clay Community Schools to a card-access system, and it plans to add more doors in the near future. That will put the total doors controlled at over 50 across the district.

Tech Electronics partnered in the project with Avigilon, a company that designs and makes video surveillance software and equipment.

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As an IRS contact representative, Sherelle Pratt was tasked with tackling confused tax filers’ most complicated questions.

Instead, authorities said Tuesday, she left them with a more burning concern: What happened to their tax returns?

A federal grand jury indicted Pratt, 49, of Philadelphia, on charges of theft, identity theft, and filing false returns – all stemming from an alleged scheme in which she pocketed nearly $29,000 in tax-refund money meant for nine of her clients.

Investigators with the Treasury Department and the IRS began probing Pratt’s work in 2009, after the father of one client questioned what happened to a $958 tax return and $600 stimulus check he believed his son was owed. They later found that the money was deposited in Pratt’s personal bank account, according to court filings.

Further digging revealed that Pratt had allegedly filed for a $3,524 tax refund on behalf of another client without his knowledge.

In other cases, she purportedly pushed clients to claim dependents and child-care and business expenses for which they were not eligible.

Sometimes, prosecutors said, Pratt passed the money along. In others, she split the proceeds with her clients, prosecutors said.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday whether Pratt had retained a lawyer. She did not return calls for comment.

A six-year veteran of the IRS, she has been suspended pending the outcome of her case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

If convicted, Pratt could face up to 33 years in prison and $2.25 million in fines.

Pratt is at least the second local IRS employee to face tax-fraud charges in as many years.

In June, a federal judge sentenced former agency customer service representative Patricia Fountain to 19 years behind bars for bilking the IRS out of more than $1.7 million in bogus refunds.

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Richmond Police Officer’s Good Deed Goes Viral

RICHMOND (WRIC)—A Facebook photo of a Richmond Police officer assisting a citizen in a wheelchair over the weekend is generating positive buzz on social media.

On Tuesday morning, the Richmond Police Department posted a photo on its Facebook page that a citizen had tweeted on Saturday. The image shows First Precinct Officer Jordan Clark pushing a man in his wheelchair.

According to RPD, Officer Clark received a call about a man in need of assistance after his wheelchair battery died. Clark responded to the scene, pushed the man for three blocks to 25th and East Broad streets, where he had arranged for GRTC to pick the citizen up.

“It was cold, his wheel chair was broke,” Clark said. “The last thing on my mind was leaving him. He didn’t have any friends or family.

That was the only option. I was like, ‘Well, I can’t leave you here, I don’t want to leave you here, we got to take care of this for you.’”

The actions that followed are earning the officer high praise. A college student took a photo of Officer Clark assisting the man in the wheelchair.

After the Richmond Police Department posted it on Facebook, it went viral.

“[Clark] then helped the man get on the bus and then followed the bus to the man’s home near 21st and Q streets,” Richmond Police wrote on Facebook.

“But he didn’t stop there. He then pushed the man in his wheelchair another two blocks and helped him get safely into his home. What an incredibly kind thing for him to do. Talk about going above and beyond.”

“I think he thought he was in trouble at first when I called him,” said Lt. Dan Minton. “I said, ‘What can you tell me about this picture of you pushing this guy in a wheel chair?’ and he said, ‘What are you talking about?’ and I kind of gave him the background on it, and then he told me the story.”

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California leaders push for smartphone kill switch

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Legislation unveiled Friday in California would require smartphones and other mobile devices to have a “kill switch” to render them inoperable if lost or stolen — a move that could be the first of its kind in the country.

State Sen. Mark Leno, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, and other elected and law enforcement officials said the bill, if passed, would require mobile devices sold in or shipped to California to have the anti-theft devices starting next year.

Leno and Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, both Democrats, co-authored the bill to be introduced this spring. They joined Gascon, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other authorities who have been demanding that manufacturers create kill switches to combat surging smartphone theft across the country.

Leno called on the wireless industry to step up as smartphone robberies have surged to an all-time high in California.

“They have a choice. They can either be a part of the problem or part of the solution, especially when there is one readily available,” Leno said.

Leno and Gascon said they believe the bill would be the first of its kind in the U.S. Gascon and Schneiderman have given manufacturers a June 2014 deadline to come up with solutions to curb the theft of smartphones.

CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group for wireless providers, says a permanent kill switch has serious risks, including potential vulnerability to hackers who could disable mobile devices and lock out not only individuals’ phones but also phones used by entities such as the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and law enforcement.

The association has been working on a national stolen phone database that launched in November to remove any market for stolen smartphones.

“These 3G and 4G/LTE databases, which blacklist stolen phones and prevent them from being reactivated, are part of the solution,” Michael Altschul, CTIA’s senior vice president and general counsel, said in a statement. “Yet we need more international carriers and countries to participate to help remove the aftermarket abroad for these trafficked devices.”

Almost one in three U.S. robberies involve phone theft, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Lost and stolen mobile devices — mostly smartphones — cost consumers more than $30 billion in 2012, the agency said in a study.

In San Francisco alone, about 60 percent of all robberies involve the theft of a mobile device, Police Chief Greg Suhr said. In nearby Oakland, such thefts amount to about 75 percent of robberies, Mayor Jean Quan added.

“We’re in California, the technological hub of the world,” Suhr said. “I can’t imagine someone would vote against” the proposed kill switch law.

Gascon said the industry makes an estimated $7.8 billion selling theft and loss insurance on mobile devices but must take action to end the victimization of its customers.

“This is one of the areas in the criminal justice system where a technological solution can make a tremendous difference, so there’s absolutely no argument other than profit,” Gascon said.

In 2013, about 136 million smartphones were sold in the U.S., according to International Data Corp., a Massachusetts-based researcher. More than 1 billion smartphones were sold worldwide last year, accounting for $330 billion in sales, IDC said. That’s up from 725 million in 2012.

Last year, Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, proposed installing a kill switch in its devices. But the company told Gascon’s office the biggest U.S. carriers rejected the idea.

A Samsung statement issued Friday said the company doesn’t think legislation is necessary and it would keep working with Gascon, other officials and its wireless carrier partners to stop smartphone theft.

Apple Inc., the maker of the popular iPhone, said the “Activation Lock” feature of its iOS 7 software released in the fall is designed to prevent thieves from turning off the Find My iPhone application, which allows owners to track their phone on a map, delete its data, and remotely lock the device so it cannot be reactivated.

“This can help you keep your device secure, even if it is in the wrong hands, and can improve your chances of recovering it,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said Friday without commenting specifically about the proposed legislation.

Gascon has praised Apple for its effort but reiterated Friday that it is still too early to tell how effective its solution will be.

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Former cop invents new lightweight body armor

RAWLINS, Wyo. Feb 12 2014— The host of successful companies that began in a garage is impressive: Amazon, Apple, Disney, Harley Davidson and Mattel to name a few. Add one more to the list, RMA Armament, Inc., one of only a few companies manufacturing lightweight body armor.

Now based in Rock Island, Ill., with manufacturing facilities in Monticello Iowa, it all began in 2011 in the garage of a former Rawlins Police officer Blake Waldrop.

Waldrop had been on the Rawlins force for four years, leaving to take a job with the Gillette Police Department. However, that opportunity fell through leaving Waldrop scrambling to pay bills.

“I had a secret recipe for gun oil, which I started making in my garage,” he said. “I would bottle it up and drive to different gun stores in Wyoming and South Dakota to sell. I was just trying to survive.”

One night, serendipity struck. Waldrop came across an article on body armor. As a former police officer, and former U.S. Marine, he knew all to well how important protection was to law enforcement and the nation’s military.

“I had a friend that was killed in Iraq on New Year’s Day 2004,” he said. “I wasn’t there at the time, but we served together. When I heard about it definitely pulled a heartstring.”

Even though it had been years since the death of his friend, Lance Cpl. Brian Parnello, reading about body armor brought up memories of the incident.

The day Parnello was killed by an IED (improvised explosive device), witnesses later told Waldrop the blast penetrated the body armor “annihilating it.”

“I was told it looked like spaghetti,” he said. “I started looking at different ceramics and seeing what I could do to make armor better and stronger. I ended coming up with a unique design.”

Typically, body armor is made with a solid piece of ceramic plate and polyethylene or Kevlar backing. Waldrop’s approach looks at providing protection differently.

“Instead of being one piece we broke it down into 22 sections,” he said. “When a round hits it, it will take out only the section, not the entire plate.”

Waldrop and his manufacturing team struggled with the bond agent to seal the seams together, but eventually solved the problem and came up with an “extremely good and high quality product.”

“We made an accidental discovery. The substance we developed was good for bonding tiles, and that’s what we were going after, but it also forms a protective layer of the top of the tiles as well,” Waldrop said. “You can literately take the plates when it’s dried, and smash it on the ground and it won’t affect the tiles at all.”

When first tested at a shooting range in Casper, Waldrop knew he had something very special.

“It was a lot stronger than I first though,” he said, “That’s when the light bulb when off. I knew what I had was a lot better than the industry standard.”

There are not many manufactures of body armor, probably only seven, Waldrop added. There are a lot of distributors and resellers, but very few actual producers.

“Nobody goes into manufacturing. Nobody does this, so we have a huge upper hand and we are seeing that pay off,” he said.

Recently, during a four-day trade show RMA Armament generated between $2-3 million in sales. Currently, company officials are demonstrating the new body armor to Special Forces at Fort Bragg.

What started with a dream in his garage has grown into a 100 percent all-American made manufacturing company with eight full-time employees.

Though only producing body armor, Waldrop said the company will turn its attention to vehicle applications in March, and may consider providing armor to helicopter seats in the future.

“It’s a great success story for a former Wyomingite and Rawlins police officer to be elevated to the position I am today,” he said.
According to the U.S. Defense Department, more than 2,500 service members have been killed by IEDs during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
RawlinsTimes
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The signs are everywhere.

The Firearms Concealed Carry Act is making its presence felt, meaning people with special permts are allowed to carry a concealed weapon in specially-designated areas.

But what does this mean for Illinois residents as a whole?

1. Permit application numbers are high

What has higher numbers: concealed-carry permits or healthcare enrollment?

According to the Chicago Tribune, about 61,000 people in Illinois signed up for new healthcare insurance plans since enrollment started in October through December. While the Illinois State police released that 23,000 people have signed up for a concealed-carry license within the first week applications became available. The number of carry permits has outpaced the number of people seeking health insurance.

Also, concealed-carry class enrollment remains strong, said Kemp Smith, a concealed-carry permit holder in 47 states, soon to be 48, and certified instructor. Smith said many instructors have full classes and are opening more and expect the numbers to stay high through the summer.

2. There are places people cannot carry

Walking through schools lately, someone might start humming the chorus from the 1970s hit “Signs” by Five Man Electrical Band. Throughout schools and other public areas “guns prohibited” signs are hanging from doors and windows.

La Salle–Peru Township High School’s board made a statement last week by adopting school policy which denied permission to carry a concealed weapon on school property. This means only an exempt group, like law enforcement, would be able to remove and carry a gun out of their vehicle. The motion is only a formality since this exemption is already in the law itself.

“There are a lot of restrictions on where people can carry guns,” Smith said.

Permit holders will not be able to carry their weapon into several public locations, including schools, government buildings, healthcare facilities, airports, sports stadiums, playgrounds andplaces which serve alcoholic beverages.

Local businesses and residents also retain the right to prohibit the carrying of a concealed weapon on private property through the use of the same sign. The free signs can be downloaded off the Illinois State Police website, ccl4illinois.com/ccw, and clicking on the sign information tab on the left. Many police stations also offer the signs.

Smith also suggested permit holders go to the state police website and print off the list of where they cannot carry a gun and keep it with them at all times. He added that just by putting a “guns prohibited” sign up will not keep a store free from gun violence since criminals will not care about the sign.

“I’m not a bad guy,” Smith said. “If I carry a gun into your store, I’m not going to do anything bad with it anyway.”

He added criminals would not be allowed to purchase a gun or apply for a permit.

Peru police chief Doug Bernabei said some local and corporate stores will place the signs f­or liability and company policy reasons, but some might do it out of “fear of the unknown.”

“Over time I feel that fear will be alleviated,” said Bernabei adding that restrictions should continue to remain at public areas like schools and government buildings.

3. Permit holders are limited

Don’t worry. The Illinois streets will not revert to the “old west.”

“It’s not the OK Corral and there aren’t going to be gun fights in the streets,” Smith said.

Smith said a concealed-carry permit holder cannot do much with their gun.

“The joke is they can only carry a gun standing in the middle of a cornfield 20 miles away from the nearest town,” said Smith. “And that’s not far from the truth.”­

The truth is that even though there are thousands of new permit holders, seeing a gun will be a rare thing. Why? The answer is in the name of the act: concealed. The weapon cannot be in the open and if it is the gun wearer will be picked up by the police for violating the law, said Bernabei. He added not to approach a person in violation of the law, but to report it and let law enforcement handle the situation.

However, in some cases a person wearing a gun underneath a jacket could be seen briefly by residents which is not a violation of the law. Smith added that in most cases people will just keep the gun in their car. Smith said personal security is the number one reason someone wants a concealed-carry permit and will use it as a deterrent to violent crimes and robberies.

Permit holders are still not allowed to draw their gun or fire it unless it can be proven it was done in self defense. After a gun is fired, a permit holder will still be arrested and charged.

“People really need to know the law at first because the state is not going to be messing around with it,” he said.

4. People getting permits go through background checks

Besides the background check already required to own a gun, a permit holder will go through another check to be approved for a concealed-carry permit.

Before receiving a five-year permit, applicants must submit a state driver’s license, Firearm Owner’s Identification card and fingerprints to the state police. A FOID card deems a person eligible to purchase firearms and ammunition. The bulk of the approval process will be handled by the state police, but other organizations will be able to help out with the process.

Illinois Department of Human Services has added new requirements to its Mental Health Reporting System to allow people to obtain a FOID card.

“The new concealed carry law broadens the scope of the Illinois FOID Mental Health Reporting System, both in terms of who must report and what information they must report,” IDHS Secretary Michelle R.B. Saddler said in a press release.

Information is collected on people who have been declared mentally disabled in court, pose a “clear and present danger” to themselves or others, have been admitted to an inpatient mental health facility within the last five years or determined to be developmentally disabled. These people can be reported by social workers, registered nurses, clinical professional counselors and marriage and family therapists.

Local police also can assist with looking at permit applicants. Bernabei said the Peru police department has an account with state police and can see who applied locally. The department can object to a permit being approved if it felt the person might cause trouble or be a danger. He said they will be offering information that the state police might not have.

“It is obviously going to be labor intense for the state police, but they did a good job of making it easy for local police,” Bernabei added.

5. Local police are trained
Bernabei said the department attended classes and training for both an overview of the law and its impact on local law enforcement.

He said the process should be seamless and not cause much trouble for local departments. Since Illinois is the last of all 50 states to pass a concealed-carry law and he has seen rollouts in other states which did not have any trouble, Bernabei feels the law will not add extra stress to the department.

“The people applying for the permits are law-abiding people. They are not a threat to law enforcement,” he added.

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