Sen. Sandoval and President Dominick Pass Gang Bill through the Senate

State Senator Martin A. Sandoval (D-12) and Cicero Town President Larry Dominick announced the approval of legislation SB 0141 that increases penalties against gang members in Illinois.

Springfield, Illinois - Senator Martin A. Sandoval (D-Cicero) passed legislation out of the Illinois Senate that increases penalties for gang members that recruit minors.

"Like President Larry Dominick with the Town of Cicero, I have zero tolerance for those who recruit minors into gangs," said Sandoval. "Currently, there is no way to prosecute these gang members, this will drastically change that."

The current law in effect, the Illinois Street Gang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act, provides that a civil action can be filed against street gangs and their members for recruiting minors. This allows for people to recover money for damages done by gangs. In addition, current provisions of the law only apply to gang recruitment on school grounds or public property adjacent to school grounds.

"Senator Sandoval and I have worked to make sure that we put an end to minors being recruited by street gangs," said Larry Dominick. "Fighting gangs, crime and graffiti have been a focus during my tenure as President of the Town of Cicero."

Senate Bill 141 will create the offense of criminal street gang recruitment of a minor. The penalty for recruiting a minor will be a class 1 felony, or four to fifteen years in jail and a fine of $25,000. Recruitment is defined in this legislation as a threat of physical force to coerce, solicit, recruit or induce another person to join or remain a member of a criminal street gang. This legislation also expressly includes the use of the internet or other telecommunication devices to coerce.

"Gangs are a major public security issue for our communities," said Sandoval. "This legislation will provide recourse for the police and family members who are dealing with gang members recruiting minors on a daily basis."
 Senator Sandoval represents the 12th Legislative District that includes the Southwest Side of Chicago, the Town of Cicero, the City of Berwyn and the Village of Stickney.
 This legislation has passed the Illinois Senate and now goes to the House of Representatives for their consideration.