Public Safety Committee - Regular Meeting

Welcome everybody to the City of Joliet Public Safety Committee. Today is July 7th, 2026, here in the Council Chambers at 534. Can we have roll call, please?

Councilwoman Fullman. Here. Councilwoman Ibarra.

Here.

Councilwoman Bull.

She said she's here. Okay, we're going to open up here. approval of the minutes for May 5th 2026 there we have a chance to read the minutes if you have any questions comments changes not live can we have a motion to accept the minutes all in favor Citizens to be heard on agenda items. I do not see anybody here to speak on any agenda items, so we will move on to our agenda items. Chief Carey? Agenda items. Purchase of five power Pro 2 cats, four power load auto cat loaders, four expedition powered steer chairs, four light pack 35 portable monitor and defibrillators for the City of Joliet Fire Department from Stryker Medical in the amount of $654,217.80. Chief?

Yeah, so what we're doing at Stryker is the same thing we did a couple of years ago. We ordered four ambulances like two or three months ago at a council meeting. This is the equipment for those ambulances. But I order them now. They'll give us a three-year 0% interest. It'll save us any of the up charges before the ambulance has come, which they estimate saves us a minimum of $88,000 by purchasing them now. So we're just trying to lock in that pricing before the ambulance is good here.

How much are we saving? Sorry? $88,000. Okay. Okay. Any questions or comments for Chief Carey?

So moved. Second.

First and a second. All in favor? Aye.

Okay. Thank you for saving us money.

All right, resolutions. Chief, resolution authorizing a letter of understanding between the City of Joliet and the Illinois Department of Transportation regarding maintenance and inspection of fire standpipe systems for the I-80 Des Plaines River Bridge Improvement Project.

On the new I-80 bridge, they're going to install a standpipe with hydrants on both sides, so if there's ever a fire on the bridge, we can pump up into it. But since the Department of Transportation doesn't have anyone to monitor it, they want us to just make sure it gets inspected every year, which we do through our bracer system, and they pay for all the inspections and the maintenance or any repairs it needs. It's just they need us to make sure we get it inspected every year. But all the cost is on the state of Illinois.

Any questions or comments? Okay, do we have a motion to approve? And move to full council?

Aye. Second. Second.

Okay, we have a first and a second. All in favor? Aye. Okay.

Okay.

Okay, number two. Sorry, I was writing notes. Resolution authorizing execution of a memorandum of understanding, MOU, between the City of Joliet Fire Department and Elwood Fire Protection District. Chief?

So this is the same as we did two meetings ago with East Joliet. We've identified areas in the city where there are significant responses for us, and there's other fire departments that are close by that can help us. So it's a dual response, and this covers that far south end area. Past center point where those are over ten minute responses for us their stations that far away So they'll respond with us to make sure we get somebody there for cardiac emergencies and fires quick, and then we're still coming It's just to get somebody there fast Whoever can get there first, and then we'll assist yes each other yep, so very good any questions or comments on this resolution

As long as you have it all worked out. It was very confusing to me.

Do we have a motion to approve this resolution in a second?

So moved.

Got a first and a second. Or do we have a second?

We did a long time ago.

All in favor? Okay. Okay.

Number three.

Resolution authorized execution of a MOU between the City of Joliet. Fire Department and Shanahan Fire Protection District. Chief, probably the same thing.

Same exact thing. This is that Route 6 corridor where Young's Road, kind of where the lines electric was. Their station, too, is right there at Route 6 and 55, and we're all the way at Oval and Jefferson. So same idea to give somebody there quick to assist our residents before we get there.

Okay. Any questions or comments on this resolution? I get a first and a second to move this to full council.

So moved.

Second. First and a second. All in favor?

Aye.

Thank you.

Okay. Chief Brown. Resolution requesting authorization to accept a grant to assist Joliet's tobacco enforcement program. This is on tonight's agenda. I think everybody realizes that. Chief? Right.

Yeah, this is a recurring grant. We've had this for many years now. This is just a resolution requesting that we accept money again for tobacco enforcement. Every quarter, we have officers that go out with young people and do a tobacco enforcement. It's been successful. Grants are wonderful.

And doing it for, I don't know, maybe 30 years, maybe longer. I don't know. Good program. Any questions or comments on this? Now that we have a first and a second, it's on tonight's agenda, so it's already there, but we can still make a motion on it.

So moved. Second.

First and a second. All in favor? Aye. And then resolution of approving intergovernmental agreement between, or agreement with Plainfield Community Consolidation School District 202. Chief?

Yes, this is another reoccurring one. This is for the SRO, the officer that we have at Plainfield South. This is just an intergovernmental agreement between us and them.

It's been going on for many years. We do it every year. Any questions or comments on that? Can we have people up here?

Nope.

Nope? Okay. We've got a first and a second to move into a full council.

So moved. Second.

First and a second. Thank you all. All in favor? Aye. Thank you. Number six, resolution authorizing a FOID, F-O-I-D, enforcement grant program between the state of Illinois and the city of Joliet. Chief?

Yes, and this is another continuing one. We have this one for several years now. We do have a FOID task force out of the police department where we have tactical officers that go out, for example, when people are In domestic situations and then the court will say give us a warrant to go and get their point guard We do the enforcement with the state. We're in a collaborative agreement with the state.

So that's what this is chief I know we spoke many years about this. We're not out looking for People know this is this is things when they come right this is absolutely targeted, right?

This is something that will come through the court and say hey There is a new case. We have an individual that has a firearm, and the court will give us a warrant to go and get it. So, no, it's not going out.

We want to know where it is.

I may ask you tonight, too, so I can explain it.

All right. Chief, is this for Katrina's law? Is that relevant? Yes. Okay. Yeah, there's a state law, Katrina's law, that mandates this.

So moved.

Can we have a first? Can we have a second?

Okay.

I'll make the second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay. And then the last one, resolution declaring property of the city of Joliet as surplus Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force. Chief?

Yes, there was a vehicle that we received from the Sheriff's Department that was went to the task force, the Tri-County Task Force. So they gave us one of their vehicles for the task force. It had over 100,000 miles on it. It still has over 100,000 miles. It was used specifically for the task force. Us being the fiduciary in Joliet, we have to be responsible for all the equipment that's there. Now we're giving it back to them. So that's all that was.

Giving it back to Tri-County? Yeah. Okay, very good. Any questions or comments? Okay, we have a first and a second to move this up. Oh, it's on tonight's agenda again. Under 350-26. We have a first for a motion.

How are we keeping track of this property that we're getting a surplus and then putting it off to the task force, Tricon?

No, it's actually, so it's within the task force.

There was an issue a couple, three years ago.

Right, so that's completely different now. This was just a vehicle that was donated from a sheriff's department to the task force. They used it in the task force and they're just giving it back. Now, with respect to what you're saying, we had a lot of problems in the past because obviously that was many different administrations and it was under a different umbrella at that time with the state police. Now it's a little different. It's a consortium of police departments. They have a lot of different bookkeeping. They actually have people document and everything. It wasn't ran. Typical way in the past and I couldn't tell you exactly why it was like that Completely different yes, it's a completely different outfit now, okay?

Just want to know I'll make the motion on this Okay any new or old business not for final action or recommendation I Maybe I can bring something up. I brought up yesterday, years ago, it was probably pre-COVID, we would ride with the state police once or twice a year to do the underage alcohol enforcement. And I know that the mayor and probably TJ will probably get a hold of you, but I just want to, I want to see if we can get that back up and running again.

I think the last time I did it was, I believe you were in charge of down here, the liquor commission. I actually worked on that. We would love to see it come back. We'd like to go to some of these establishments. because we know there are some around and usually when we get word that something is happening we will get a task force together we'll put people out there but there are a lot of people and the thing is if you actually start doing it people will know about it these businesses and yeah they i think they will be less likely to sell alcohol that openly and we could be open and transparent we can

Definitely. I mean, right now we just have Kevin Galinsky, I believe, from the state that's doing that. But I just thought that. And then these e-bikes, I know it's becoming a hot topic for the rest of the country. Yeah. So I was on that.

We're talking now. and we were going to meet with the city about July 1st is when the law changed. I was actually on the Slocum show a week ago discussing this. Yeah, the law completely changed, and we know that people aren't aware of it because they don't follow it. So I know there's a lot of, like, Slocum show on the paper, they're trying to put that out like, hey, for example, if you have an e-bike that exceeds 28 miles an hour, they have them from 28 miles an hour to 50 miles an hour. Now you're going to actually need a driver's license, registration, and insurance. But of course, if you go on Jefferson Street, you won't see that. Because they have no clue that's what's going on. So we're actually working on something now with Duane English to push something out from the police department just to educate the public, hey, this is the law, this is what's going on, and hopefully some people will abide by the law. The first thing we're going to do is try to educate You know, they were warning him. And then after that, then it'll be enforcement. But we know people aren't even watching the news. They have no clue.

That's why we get this on social media. That's where the kids come and gather. I mean, there was more than one group on Friday night. It wasn't just in Joliet for the... Oh, yeah. It was all over. They went out there and they had designated places. where they really go and cause trouble. So they get all that from social media. And so we need to get that out there. If you're stopped with no license and everything, you're going to confiscate it. You'll go to jail or whatever the consequences are, whatever the law depends it is. But we need to get that right. It's not only the kids riding those things.

Oh, no, there are adults. I mean, a guy passed me a dirt screen. I was doing the speed of it, and he passed me on a bike a dirt screen, a bicycle. Yeah.

Yeah, so I wholeheartedly approve of that. We just need to get the message out there.

All right. I just have one more thing, and then I'll pass it on if that's OK. It's becoming an issue again the dirt bikes ATVs and then the motorcycles that are flipping up the license plates or those license plates, and I get it. It's tough But it is becoming an issue again, and you know it's tough for us to yeah You know I get it, but just I know you're aware of it. I'm just bringing it up.

Yeah, no we've uh That's one of my pet peeves. We do enforce that a lot. We have been writing a lot of tickets on it I have people in my neighborhood that does that and we try to go to their house again we try to educate them on this and we know the people that are the ones that reoccur and the problem with this thing is about I think I spoke about this also on the radio it's about I would say 80% of the people 85% will take off from us they will not get and the thing is we don't want to turn it into a pursuit because the worst thing can happen is someone die on something like that we see them on Jefferson Street usually if they're on Jefferson Street we're talking high 90% that they are going to take off from us. So what we've been trying to do is identify them through our InSquad video camera. We see them. We try to identify who this person is. We put their picture out. We try to locate them.

And then we'll try to confiscate their vehicles.

But yeah, it is a problem around all the communities. That's one of the big things I hear when I go to the Willow County Chiefs of Police meeting is they talk about this, and we talk about using undercover officers like the ones from Tri-County, because we've done it in the past, where we try to do a sting where we'll get them out there, and it's hit or miss. Because you'll go out there for a week and you don't see them. And then the weekend, you're not out there, they're popping wheelies on Jefferson Street. So we know. It is frustrating, and as I always told, it's dangerous for people that are driving also. You know because if you hit one of them now, you're really victimized too You got to deal with the fact that you just hit somebody in an ATV that shouldn't even have been on the street the first I'm concerned about the sale of Kratom

it's at every gas station um kratom okay i heard it's a hundred times more addictive than any drug that's out on the streets and it is a synthetic form of heroin you can go to any i don't know what the laws are about our ordinance is prohibited um when we looked at it it was the last one i was aware of it was actually in crestville it was not in joliet being sold um

I think it's something we could do, sting operation, or try to have the police look into it.

Because they market it as basically an alternative to the eight-hour energy shots, but it's actually very, very addictive, and it's causing a lot of problems. And they market it to kids as well.

yep it's always we're always chasing this thing where they'll come up with some product yeah we have to read the criminal code just to make sure it fits and then we'll try to put our drug guys out here try to enforce it okay thank you it's prohibited per ordinances okay but can't we make our ordinance

You have something written out?

It's already there. That's what I'm saying. It's prohibited in our code.

But to be more specific about what this thing is and what they're doing. That and the bikes. Can't we make ours more specific so it overrules the other?

I am happy to coordinate with you guys.

To make it easier for them? That's what I'm thinking.

Yeah, we were going to reach out to Todd about that also because when we got the word that the law was changing, we went in and looked at a lot of communities around us. I think we looked at Elgin, Naperville. and I think it was Schaumburg. And their code was actually matching the previous, you know, before it changed. So now they have to change everything. And the state of Illinois, if you actually go on the Secretary of State website, it is a perfect illustration. It breaks it down where a 10-year-old can understand. And that's what we want to put on our website, because it shows you all the bikes It describes the bikes, and then it tells you what the violations are, and it'll tell you what you need. A driver's license, it is a perfect thing just to put out. So I think we're, in looking at the other towns, we're going to mirror something like that. And we do follow the state law anyway.

I think what we need to do is coordinate to see what the state law actually does. That might take care of it. Oh, it does. Yeah, and we don't need to add anything. If we need it, let's do it. Right, we'll coordinate together. That's fine.

Councilwoman McClellan, any questions, comments on the new or old business?

No, that was it. We need to tighten these up a little more. Can we check with this and check with that one? No, this is what our ordinance says. We're home rule. Get it done.

Okay. Public comment. I do not see anyone for public comments. Do we have a motion to adjourn?

So, second.

We've got a first and a second. All in favor? Aye.

All right.

Good.