Dupage Policy Journal

Illinois State Senator John Curran has voiced his concerns about the increasing number of criminals fleeing from law enforcement. He said, "Brazen criminals speeding away from police puts law enforcement, motorists and pedestrians at great risk." In an effort to curb this dangerous trend, Curran has introduced Senate Bill 1807. He stated that the bill aims to "increase the penalty for fleeing and eluding from a misdemeanor to a felony to improve public safety and hold bad actors accountable."

"My colleague State Senator Seth Lewis and I joined Lemont Chief of Police and President of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Marc Maton and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres at the capitol to discuss legislation I introduced to increase the penalty for fleeing and eluding police officers," said John F Curran, State Senator 41st District, according to Facebook. "Brazen criminals speeding away from police puts law enforcement, motorists and pedestrians at great risk. However, under current Illinois law, the punishment does not fit this serious crime. I introduced Senate Bill 1807 to increase the penalty for fleeing and eluding from a misdemeanor to a felony to improve public safety and hold bad actors accountable."

Curran officially filed Senate Bill 1807 on Feb. 9, 2023. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Illinois vehicle code, upgrading the crime of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 Felony. A second violation would be classified as a Class 2 felony, while a third violation would rise to a Class 3 felony. The bill is designed to take effect immediately upon signing. As of May 2, nine senators have signed on as co-sponsors, including Sen. Seth Lewis who joined Curran earlier this month in discussing the necessity of this bill.

Screenshot of Sen. John Curran's May 13 Facebook post | Sen. John Curran Facebook page

On May 2, WGIL reported on Senate Bill 1807 and highlighted that "In DuPage County alone, cases of fleeing police have increased over the past three years by 151%." The outlet pointed out that under Illinois law, a Class 4 felony conviction could result in a prison sentence ranging from one to three years; meanwhile, a class 3 felony - which is proposed as the penalty for a third offense - could lead to five years imprisonment.
Curran reiterated his stance in the WGIL report saying, "In Illinois, we continue to keep it at a misdemeanor level. It’s not working. If it was working, we would not see this increase in situations where people are recklessly fleeing from the police."

Furthermore, Curran shared a link to a post from Sen. Seth Lewis, who has also signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill. Lewis expressed his concern over the rising trend, stating, "Increases in suspects fleeing and eluding the police has become a serious safety threat in our communities, placing the lives of police officers and pedestrians at risk." He further emphasized that "the punishment for fleeing and eluding does not fit the severity of a crime that creates an incredibly dangerous situation for all."