As a lifelong Oak Parker myself, I appreciate that my constituents are not a shy bunch. They call the office. Stop me on the sidewalk. Chat with me at church or the Onion Roll. I take their input to heart.
When Eisenhower Expressway shootings soared in recent years, many expressed understandable outrage. Kelly Arquette, a Giles Mom, called to make sure I was appropriately alarmed. A south Oak Park neighbors group asked for a sit-down. Town Hall attendees demanded action.
They made their voices heard.
I went back to Springfield and rallied support for more resources for law enforcement. We invested in personnel, license-plate readers, air operations, K9 units and other investigations to drive down shootings and make our roads safer.
And what started as a push from local residents is producing results.
Illinois State Police recently reported that shootings on our interstates have dropped for the third straight year — down 71 percent from 2021. In that year, there were 310 shootings and 133 injuries. That fell last year to 89 shootings and 17 injuries.
It’s not the only progress we’ve made through perseverance.
One of the first things I sponsored as a state lawmaker was a proposal requiring state licensing of gun dealers. It took me more than a decade to get it passed and signed into law, but it is making a difference.
Since State Police began inspecting licensed gun dealers, the number of guns claimed stolen from those dealers has plummeted 97 percent. Licensed gun dealers claimed 291 guns were stolen in 2020. Last year they claimed 8.
Any shooting is one too many.
Any firearm stolen is one too many on our streets.
But there’s no denying the progress in preventing crimes from happening and preventing people from being victimized.
I recognize that there’s no one law or vote that’s going to solve all of our problems. But by focusing on common-sense legislation and investments, we are getting real, measurable improvements.
Thank you to everyone in the community who took the time to get involved, to speak up and urge me forward. (Great thanks to my constituent and friend, Bertha Purnell, who recently passed. Bertha lost a child to gun violence, then turned her pain and committed her voice to tenacious advocacy for all victims and survivors.)
Please stay involved and welcome others to help us improve our communities. We are truly in this together.
Don Harmon represents Oak Park and the neighboring areas in the Illinois Senate and serves as Illinois Senate President.