Waukegan, IL – Candidate for Lake County State’s Attorney, Eric Rinehart, released today his Police Accountability Plan for Lake County. This marks the first plan announced by any of the candidates as the country turns its attention to systemic racism, especially in our justice system.

The plan focuses on eleven specific changes that Rinehart will implement as Lake County State’s Attorney, and can be viewed on his website here: 

>> “Increasing Police Accountability Through Transparency in Lake County” <<

“Police misconduct in Lake County has already sent innocent people to prison for decades and cost taxpayers more than $54 million dollars,” said Eric Rinehart.

Rinehart’s plan addresses de-escalation training, body cameras, racial profiling, diversity and bias education, and legislative reforms amongst other solutions. Rinehart is committed to full transparency in both identifying the problems through the publication of up-to-date statistics and in engaging citizens and law enforcement through public advisory panels.

Rinehart continued saying, “The tragedy and pain caused by these wrongful arrests, coerced confessions, and false prosecutions have not dissipated for their victims, nor have they been addressed by the current state’s attorney. Just as importantly, the current office has jeopardized the reputation of all law enforcement within Lake County by failing to address these systematic problems in our local justice system. Simply, the office lacks the will to create a culture where the law and the constitution matter more than personal connections.”

On May 25, 2020, police officers in Minneapolis murdered George Floyd. Rinehart was the first candidate for Lake County State’s Attorney asking that those officers be held accountable. In the subsequent weeks, people across the country and Lake County have been demanding real reform at all levels of government as the country turns its attention to systemic racism. 

“It is time to come together as a community to make sure that Justice for All is more than a motto but a daily mission for our prosecutor’s office. Justice for All means making sure that the police serve the people, that we protect everyone’s rights, and that we fight for all victims of crime regardless of their gender, race, class, or background. Justice for all means fair treatment not only within our courtrooms and on our streets, but also in how we ensure that all our communities are safe,” said Rinehart.

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