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A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE OF ILLINOIS TO STOP THE ABUSE OF NATIONAL AND STATE TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS AND URGE THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE A SCOURGE OF VILE, DEFAMATORY AND ANONYMOUS ROBOCALS INUNDATING RESIDENTS OF ORLAND PARK, IL.
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WHEREAS, telephones, specifically mobile phones have become a vital part of everyday life and citizens rely on them for ease of communication and accessing information; and
WHEREAS, the abuse of this technology by scam artists and criminals leads to significant disruptions in everyday life and substantial financial losses; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Trade Commission received 4.5 million complaints in 2018 from citizens frustrated with incessant scam callers and robocalls; and
WHEREAS, 30 billion robocalls were made in 2017, a number that is growing from year-to-year; and
WHEREAS, having a phone number registered on the national Do Not Call Registry does little to discourage or stop criminal phone scams; and
WHEREAS, because of the use of false telephone numbers, the frequency of the calls and the inability of agencies to enforce existing laws, the federal government and telecom companies are taking steps to stop the overwhelming flood of fraudulent and unsolicited phone calls that consumers receive; and
WHEREAS, the United States Congress recently passed bipartisan legislation, The Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement Act (“TRACED Act”), aimed at addressing the increasing number of illegal robocalls; and
WHEREAS, the TRACED Act legislation will help find and prosecute robocallers; and
WHEREAS, over the past few years, residents of the Village of Orland Park, IL have been inundated by a scourge of vile, defamatory, and anonymous robocalls, harassing and disturbing residents to breach the peace of the Village; and
WHEREAS, the individuals responsible for these vile, defamatory, and anonymous robocalls are willfully, knowingly, and repeatedly violating existing law with the intent to harass and disturb residents and businesses of Orland Park, and cause harm to residents and businesses of Orland Park, IL, and to cause a breach of the peace; and
WHEREAS, the robocalls have been made to mobile phones without the called parties’ prior express consent, and did not include any identifying information of the entity initiating the call; and
WHEREAS, the Village has received a substantial number of complaints from residents and businesses reporting that the robocalls are unsolicited, harassing, disturbing, and causing a breach of the peace.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF ORLAND PARK, COOK AND WILL COUNTIES, ILLINOIS that we support all efforts by the federal government and the State of Illinois to stop the abuse of our national and State telecommunication networks by deceitful robocalls and scam callers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge the Federal Communications Commission and the Illinois Attorney General to investigate the scourge of vile, defamatory, and anonymous robocalls inundating residents of Orland Park, IL over the past few years; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and to the respective CEOs of top telecommunication companies.
This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and publication in pamphlet form as required by law.