Your Views
DCFS a broken system
Between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019, the Illinois Inspector General Office reported the death of 123 children who came into contact with DCFS. The death of one child is unacceptable the death of 123 is inexplicable and inexcusable. Of the 123 deaths, 37 were deemed "accidental," 34 were "natural," 24 were ruled a homicide, seven were suicide and 21 were "undetermined."
It took the tragic death of AJ Freund to finally draw attention to a broken system many of us in law enforcement have been frustrated with for years. DCFS received at least 10 hotline calls beginning in 2012 related to AJ's home. Police officers, hospital staff, neighbors, a private agency caseworker all reported what they believed to be negligent behavior or conditions. An investigation ordered by the state of Illinois revealed a complete systematic breakdown that went back decades. Some were fired, much rhetoric was published condemning DCFS. The state of Illinois conducted investigations criticizing DCFS, promising changes. The question remains, has much changed? No.
The system remains broken. The constant revolving door of experienced qualified DCFS investigators continues to hinder law enforcement. Delays in response, missteps in protocols, continue to place children at risk and potentially derail the criminal investigative process and compromise prosecution. When is the state of Illinois finally going to quit investigating and start fixing?
George Filenko, Police Chief
Round Lake Park
Arbitration needed
I believe Illinois has a lawsuit abuse problem. Today, small business owners constantly face the threat of lawsuits that can and will put them out of business.
One of the prime examples of this is workers compensation litigation. Trial lawyers see these cases as an opportunity to force small-business owners to settle, guaranteeing a win for the lawyer and a corresponding payout. They pack our courtrooms with these claims, wasting time and taxpayer resources, when in reality these cases belong in arbitration.
Through the arbitration process, the claims can be resolved without the added expense and complications that come with legal teams. Arbitration, not litigation, is the fairer, more successful way to resolve worker compensation issues. We can still put safety first, as we have been, but we need Illinois lawmakers to recognize this and make arbitration the standard for workers' compensation cases.
Anne Pearson
Palatine