Employees with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will soon be allowed to carry peppery spray while on duty.
RELATED: Bill allowing DCFS employees to carry pepper spray heads to governor
While pepper spray was already legal for adults to carry, DCFS workers were not allowed to while on duty.
That changed on Friday when Senate Bill 1486 was signed into law.
“Frontline DCFS workers face dangerous situations far too often as they work to protect the vulnerable children of Illinois,” said Senator Steve McClure. “This will give those employees the ability to carry pepper spray and create a training program to ensure they know how to use it in an emergency situation.”
The pepper spray will be carried for defensive purposes while DCFS frontline workers investigate child abuse and neglect.
Senate Bill 1486 was inspired by the murders of two DCFS investigators. Deidre Silas was stabbed to death in January at a home in Thayer during the course of a child welfare investigation. In February of 2018, Pamela Knight died in the hospital from injuries sustained during a brutal attack that occurred while she was trying to take a child into protective custody.