South Cook News

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison blames the SAFE-T Act for the dissolution of a police department in Illinois.

"Here's the effect of overreaching legislation in Illinois," Morrison posted on Facebook. He then posted a WAND News story that reported that The Westfield Police Department in downstate Clark County was dissolved. 

The story covered a press conference in which Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) said, "We've seen police departments shut down. I've talked to numerous chiefs and sheriff's that have had their cops move out of state because of the Safe-T Act."  

The WAND story said, "The village blamed it on unfunded mandates passed by the state. Officers in Westfield have been leaving the department and replacements could not be found."

After the SAFE-T Act was passed last January, House Republicans had filed legislation that would repeal the Act, but the majority Democrats weren't interested.

 "As usual with the Republican Party, any effort to make the justice system fairer for Black people is called 'dangerous,'" The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus said in a statement. "We are improving public safety, supporting law enforcement, and ending systemic injustice at the same time."

Among other measures, the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act eliminates cash bail by the year 2023, and allows prosecutors to charge people committing a forcible felony with murder if their accomplices were killed by a third party. The Act also establishes the grounds for a new process that will decertify abusive cops. 

"This is a moment that presents a tremendous opportunity for us to fundamentally change the way we look at criminal justice in this state," said state Sen. Elgie Sims Jr. (D-Chicago)

SafeWise's annual 2022 State of Safety survey found that only 42% of Illinois residents report feeling safe, while 64% reported feeling "high daily concern" for their safety. 13% of respondents reported experiencing gun violence firsthand, an increase from 8% the previous year. Mass shooting incidents in Illinois increased by 25% from 2020 to 2021.