2002-50 AMENDING CITY CODE - CHAPTER 60 - TAXICABS AND TAXI DRIVERS

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DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM#02-32 June 11, 2002 TO: Mayor Terry Howley and City Council Steve Garman, City Manager FROM: Mark Barthelemy, Chief of Police� SUBJECT: Proposed Change to Chapter 60, Section 21, (i), of City Ordinances SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Council should consider this recommended change to Chapter 60, Section 21, (i)of City Ordinances. BACKGROUND: In the packet that went out to council prior to the June 3, 2002, meeting, I forwarded a memo dated September 6, 2001, and a memo dated May 28, 2002. Both memorandums dealt with my best advised recommendations to council that convicted felons not be allowed City of Decatur taxicab driver's licenses. In the first instance, council unanimously agreed and the above ordinance was changed. In the second instance,I recommended no change to the ordinance. At the June 3,2002, council meeting,there was vocal opposition to my stance and indication from some council members that they were sympathetic toward certain convicted felons and did not necessarily see my point of view. Consequently, I received requests from council to provide further information for their consideration. REFERENCE: Councilwoman Stockard requested I provide four things. The first was information regarding restrictions placed on conviction backgrounds of City Transit bus drivers. I have attached a letter from Transit Administrator Paul McChancy to Ms. Carol Reynolds who inquired on this very matter. Many states have legislation which bans convicted felons from driving buses, but Illinois is not one of them. However,the Decatur Public Transit System's current management firm does have a policy that bans convicted felons from being employed. Second, Councilwoman Stockard asked for restrictions placed on conviction backgrounds of school bus drivers. I requested Tom Garmon of Durham School Services to fax me a list of their restrictions. The list is too lengthy to articulate in this document. You will also find it attached to this memorandum. Applicants convicted of those offenses are denied school bus driver privileges. As you will see,there are very, very few felony offenses that do not prohibit an individual from driving a school bus. Illinois State Law(625 ILCS 5/6-106.1)prohibits school bus driver permits being issued to convicted sex offenders. In addition,Councilwoman Stockard asked for further inquiry to the Illinois Department of Corrections concerning recidivism rates for periods beyond three years. The e-mail request from my Professional Standards Bureau staff and the reply from IDOC Chief PIO,Nic Howell, is attached. It simply states that no prisoner's length of parole extends beyond three years,therefore they have done no studies beyond that time frame. Finally, Councilwoman Stockard asked that I provide information regarding several other lllinois community's taxicab drivers conviction restriction guidelines. Due to the length of those ordinances, I have summarized the results below: