Metro East Sun

Sen. Steve McClure was appalled when he heard about the murder of constituent Diedre Silas of the Department of Children and Family Services while on duty in Sangamon County. Now he has sponsored bi-partisan legislation that gives DCFS workers the ability to carry pepper spray he said could have helped fend off her attacker.

Senate Bill 1486 is sponsored by 37 senators, both Democratic and Republican, and Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Sterling) in the House. It passed in the Senate with 48 yes votes and zero no votes and most recently was referred to the House Rules Committee. The bill amends the Children and Family Services Act to provide that a child protective investigator can carry and use personal protection spray devices like Mace or pepper gas for self defense while investigating child abuse or neglect. 

“I don’t know that this would have saved her life, but it could have and I suspect if this passes it will save someone’s life,” McClure said on the Senate floor on Feb. 25 when the bill passed the Senate.

The bill would require the investigator to be trained on how to use pepper spray by Illinois State Police. Illinois State Police would need to create a training program under the new law. It also requires DCFS to provide funding for the training.

“The current DCFS policy is that these folks are not allowed to carry any protective spray, Mace, or pepper spray with them despite the fact that Mace and pepper spray are legal for everyone in the state to carry if you’re 18 or older,” McClure said.

According to McClure’s website, the legislation is in response to the deaths of Silas and Pamela Knight, who in February 2018 died from injuries after being beaten while trying to take a child into protective custody.

The bill has the support of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

McClure is also the co-sponsor of Senate Bill 3197 which provides the same health insurance benefits to families of DCFS investigators killed while on the job as it does with families of fallen law enforcement officers. This bill has also passed the Senate.