Sheriff Will Enforce Weapons Ban; Conroy Will Not Seek Censure

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick has reversed course and will enforce a statewide ban on assault weapons, according to a joint announcement made with County Board Chair Deb Conroy and State's Attorney Robert Berlin. Amid the shift in Mendrick's stance, Conroy will not seek to censure Mendrick, Monday's statement said.

The joint statement comes just two weeks after Mendrick announced that he would not enforce parts of H.B. 5471. Passed on Jan. 10, the Protect Illinois Communities Act prohibits the distribution and sale of assault-style weapons, along with guns that have high-capacity magazines and similar alterations.

Mendrick wrote on Jan. 13, in part,

"[A]s a custodian of the jail and chief law enforcement official for DuPage County, that neither myself, nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State, nor will we be arresting or housing law-abiding individuals that have been arrested solely with non-compliance of this Act."

Shortly after, Reps. Bill Foster (D, IL-11), Sean Casten (D, IL-6) and other local lawmakers jointly urged Mendrick to retract his statement. They wrote, in part,

"As Sheriff, you do not have the authority to set enforcement priorities based on your personal views of a law’s constitutionality. Moreover, by choosing not to enforce the law, you will put the safety of DuPage residents and law enforcement officers at risk."

Dozens of residents spoke in favor or opposition to Mendrick's stance at the DuPage County Board meeting Tuesday. The meeting saw Conroy vowing to censure Mendrick in response to the sheriff's Jan. 13 statement.

The joint statement released by Mendrick, Conroy and Berlin on Jan. 30 read,

“DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy, Sheriff James Mendrick, and State’s Attorney Robert Berlin engaged in a meaningful conversation during which they discussed their shared commitment to the safety of DuPage County residents. The conversation also included discussion of Illinois’ new assault weapons ban, known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act. Enforcement of this law does not demand that deputies go door to door seeking to remove weapons from those licensed to own them. With this understanding, Sheriff Mendrick is committed to enforcing all state and local laws. Chair Conroy is committed to supporting the Sheriff’s Office in maintaining safe communities within DuPage County and sees no reason to pursue a censure resolution at this time. All parties look forward to positive, productive collaboration on important initiatives that will keep DuPage residents safe and ensure the security of our communities moving forward.”

What do you think of the joint statement released by Mendrick, Conroy and Berlin? Let us know in the comments.