ILLINOIS (WAND) - A proposed House bill would legalize safe sites for people to use illegal drugs.

"It would help lead people with substance use disorders to treatment," said State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford.

The goals are also to lower deadly overdoses and unsafe injection practices. 

"They're going to use drugs, that they could go to a place where if there is a fatal drug overdose, that is not fatal. The other benefit is you will see fewer people on our streets using drugs," Ford said.

However, the Taylorville Police Department said it is not on board.

"We have a safe passage program here. We treat addicts all the time... and with the bill here, [the] education I do like, but then again, how much education can you give a person who is in a place that is getting high at that time," said Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler.

The recovery organization Safe Passage said this is not the solution.

"And I told him what it was, and he said, 'oh, my gosh, you've got to be kidding me.' He said, 'why don't they just make it legal?' He said, 'that's just an open door.' And this is someone who is now in recovery. He's clean," said Safe Passage Coordinator Denise Evans. 

Safe Passage hopes that Illinois will instead offer more rehab facilities or other resources. 

"Instead of allowing them to go in just to get a clean needle. Let's have more facilities around Illinois to help them be clean," Evans said.

You can look at the bill itself here.