Act On Gun Control: Arlington Heights To Illinois Government

In 2017, the Village of Arlington Heights was proud to be named the second safest community in the State of Illinois by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, a national trade association of licensed alarm installers, contractors, and other groups. However, the same group also rated Parkland, Florida the safest community in that state. The recent shootings in Parkland underscore the fact that that even low crime rate communities like Arlington Heights and Parkland are not immune to tragedy.

Protecting the people of our community from harm is central to the Village of Arlington Heights’ mission. Despite the best efforts of cities, villages, and law enforcement around the country to prevent school shootings and be prepared for them, they continue to occur at an alarming rate. As a result, it is clear that additional action must be taken at the local, state, and national level to stem this violence. The Village of Arlington Heights is willing to do its part. In particular, our community has invested much time and money in making our schools more secure and our public safety employees more prepared for such a threat. We are also training our staff to be better equipped to deescalate situations involving violent offenders who may suffer from mental illness. However, action must now be taken on the state and national levels as well.

To that end, the Mayor and Village Board of Arlington Heights call on the leadership of the State of Illinois to enact additional reasonable, responsible, and enforceable common-sense gun control legislation to help reduce the incidence of mass shootings within our communities. In particular, we support stronger regulation of all gun dealers to prevent the sale of firearms to those individuals who cannot lawfully purchase them, and to reduce theft of firearms from poorly secured shops. We also support tougher background checks, the banning of “bump stocks”, and legislation that increases the accountability of gun owners as well.

The Village Board of Arlington Heights does not have a general history of weighing in on federal or state matters that do not relate directly to our village government’s own mandates or duties. However, as this issue relates to our mission to provide for the safety of our community, we believe it appropriate to take a stand on this matter.

Accordingly, on behalf of the Village Board of Arlington Heights, I strongly urge you to work toward the passage of legislation that increases the accountability of all Illinois gun dealers and owners, and prevents the illegal purchase of firearms in our state.