Scott County hired two more deputies that Sheriff Tim Lane said left Illinois departments because of a new Illinois state law that increases accountability – and liability – for police officers, and gives more protection to criminal suspects than cops.
Lane said he expects a lot more Illinois interest in as many as four sheriff’s department positions he expects to be open this year.
Lane swore in Justin Holmes and Eric Williams as patrol deputies June 14, and said they are among more Illinois officers pursuing Iowa law enforcement careers.
“These gentlemen come from the state of Illinois as experienced law personnel. They have chosen to cross the river over to the state of Iowa, where we are going to continue to do law enforcement,” Lane said.
Illinois House Bill 3653 calls for more training, prohibits chokeholds and forbids holding a suspect solely for resisting arrest. It also requires officers to intervene if another officer uses excessive force.
The new law decertifies any officer convicted of a new list of misdemeanors and felonies, including prostitution or drug abuse.
It also ends cash bail and allows judges to hold suspects based on evidence of threat, not amount of money they have available.
Lane said the provisions tip scales in favor of criminal suspects over police officers.
“It’s a foolish pipe dream to believe a person who victimizes another person, breaks into their home and steals from them, should not be in jail. Unfortunately, that’s the direction it’s going to go. I believe a lot of law enforcement is concerned about what the future is going to bring,” he said at the swearing in ceremony at the patrol station in Eldridge.
Williams leaves Rock Island
New deputy Eric Williams is from Monterey, Calif., and grew up in Danville, Ill. He earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Danville Area Community College while also studying fire science and emergency medical services.
From 2010 to 2018, Williams served in the Illinois National Guard.
He worked 2013 to 2016 Eric as a volunteer firefighter with the Lynch Area Fire Protection District, and served as an auxiliary officer with the Village of Westville.
After graduating from Illinois police academy, he worked full time for the Lewistown police department, serving as a crisis intervention officer, resources, juvenile and school resource officer.
From 2018 until June 2021, Williams served with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department as a patrol deputy and earned accreditations as tactical patrol officer, SWAT, crash re-constructionist, wilderness search and rescue, emergency medical responder and tactical medicine. He studies martial arts and enjoys triathlons.
His partner, Heather, and her mom, Viveca, joined him for the Scott County ceremony.
Holmes arrives from Knox County, Ill.
New deputy Justin Holmes spent 13 years in Illinois law enforcement. He hails from Dubuque and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Ambrose University.
Holmes began as a jailer for the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department and spent two years as a deputy.
For the next 11 years, he worked as a city of Rock Island police officer, including five years with the tactical operations division, seven years with the emergency response team and two years undercover with the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group.
Holmes and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Jace and Cooper, and a daughter, Mollie.
He is the head coach for the Quad City Hitmen 8U baseball team and helps coach a 5- and 6U Quad City Hitmen team.