Sangamon County Board pulls resolution to recall elected officials

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Sangamon County Board met Tuesday evening for the first time since details regarding the death of Sonya Massey were released to the public.

During the meeting, Sam Cahnman pulled his original resolution that suggested adding a new advisory referendum to the November ballot which asks "Shall Illinois adopt recall for elected officials?", from being sent to the elections committee, due to lack of support.

In response to community calls to resign, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell announced his retirement effective August 31st. Now, the board chairman has two months to appoint a new sheriff.

The board hosted over 150 community members at Tuesdays meeting. Dozens of Sangamon County residents took to the podium for public comment.

Community members are calling for massive changes in the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office.

In addition to changing hiring practices and adopting Board Member Cahnman's referendum, they are calling for a reallocation of funds.

The public is asking for funds to be redirected to training programs for de-escalation, cultural competency, mental health crisis intervention, and community counseling.

Some community members are calling for a third-party service to be hired to train officers. They are also asking for a third-party investigator to audit the department, the jail, and all employees.

The public asks that the audit and overall investigation be released to the public and for immediate changes to be made.