WHITESIDE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE John F. Booker, Sheriff Jeffrey R. VenHuizen, Chief Deputy 815-772-5209 Jake A. Kilberg, Lieutenant 815-772-5220 Kimberly Cavazos, Lieutenant, Corrections 815-772-5227
As your Sheriff, I wanted to give citizens of Whiteside County an update on the recent passage of HB 54 71, also known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
As you're duly elected Sheriff my job and my office are sworn, in fact, to protect the citizens of Whiteside County. This is a job and responsibility that I take with the utmost seriousness.
Part of my duties that I accepted upon being sworn into office was to protect the rights provided to all of us, in the Constitution. One of those enumerated rights is the right of the people to keep and bear arms provided under the 2nd amendment.
The right to keep and bear arms for defense of life, liberty and property is regarded as an inalienable right by the people.
I, among many others, believe that HB 5471 is a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution.
Therefore, as the custodian of the jail and chief law enforcement official for Whiteside 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.
Respectfully John. F. Booker
400 N. Cherry St. Morrison, IL 61270 Phone: (815) 772-4044 Jail: (815) 772-5202 Fax: (815) 772-7944
