Suburban cop recertified after teenage petty theft incident stripped her of police powers
RIVERSIDE, Ill. - An Illinois police board has re-certified a suburban police officer after she was stripped of her police powers for a petty theft that happened when she was a teenager.
Officer Zenna Ramos was lauded by Gov. JB Pritzker for turning her life around.
The governor and other state leaders had urged the Illinois Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board to re-certify Ramos after they yanked her certification under guidelines set forth by the state's new SAFE-T Act.
Ramos had previously worked as an officer in Cicero and was hired by Riverside in February. But the board initially ruled that because she stole a $15 T-shirt 20 years ago, she wasn't fit to serve as a police officer.
Suburban cop who stole $15 shirt in 2008 decertified by Illinois, can no longer be a police officer
A suburban police officer was decertified for a crime she committed 15 years ago.
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"I turned around to look back at her after our board made their decision, and she just basically burst into tears and gave our village manager a big hug, and our village president was standing next to her and put his hand on her, and that just shows the support that she received from our village officials here at Riverside. She's overwhelmed by that," said Riverside Police Chief Matt Buckley.
Officer Ramos won her appeal by the board's waiver review committee. It now goes to the full board for approval.
Chief Buckley is hopeful they will agree.