(The Center Square) – Saying Illinoisans’ safety will be at risk, an Illinois senator is calling for a full repeal of the Safety, Accountability and Fairness Equity Today Act, or SAFE-T Act.
State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, also is providing a petition online where Illinois residents can urge the repeal.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law last year, which will abolish cash bail on Jan. 1, making Illinois the first state in the country to do so. Pritzker has celebrated the legislation as one that supports police departments with funds and equipment such as body cameras, and that the elimination of cash bail will prevent low-level criminals from sitting in jail for months.
“I can’t walk down the street without being stopped by someone who asks how the SAFE-T Act can be stopped,” DeWitte said in a statement. “Constituents are particularly worried about criminal offenses that will, as of January 1, be considered ‘non-detainable.’ People have legitimate concerns and we need to pump the brakes on implementation so the long list of unintended consequences tied to the Act can be addressed.”
DeWitte notes that Kane County officials have said about 130 current detainees will be released at the end of the year because the offenses for which they are currently being held will become “non-detainable.”
State Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, was a driving force behind the legislation.
“The SAFE-T Act is based on evidence, data, and solving root causes of violence,” he said in a statement to The Center Square. “It dares to imagine a world, that actually existed up through the 1970s, where people who never posed a threat to others weren’t rounded up and thrown in jail.”
The Orland Park Village Board unanimously passed a resolution demanding state lawmakers work with public safety representatives to address issues they see with the legislation.
A news release from the village of Orland Park states that abolishing cash bail will affect almost every offense, including kidnapping, armed robbery, second degree murder, drug-induced homicide, aggravated DUI, threatening a public official, and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
“We must not allow this law to stand as passed,” Mayor Keith Pekau said. “I can’t even begin to tell you how dangerous this act is.”
