South Cook News

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, who is running as the Republican nominee for the Sixth District Congressional seat, said that some Democrats are now saying that changes to the SAFE-T Act could be beneficial, but his opponent, incumbent Congressman Sean Casten (D-Barrington) is not one of them.

“Even Illinois Democrats are now acknowledging 'tweaks' to SAFE-T Act language could be made following public outcry, But not Sean Casten. He called the legislation 'necessary criminal justice reform.' My opponent is out of touch and emphasizes criminals over law-abiding citizens," Pekau posted on Facebook.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a recent campaign stop that he believes people don't understand the SAFE-T Act, so he is open to considering "tweaks to the legislation" and changing the language "so that people will understand," Fox News reported. 

Zack Smith, a legal fellow and manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program at The Heritage Foundation, said, "I think the problem is that people understand it perfectly fine and what the plain language of the bill says is disastrous. So this idea that people have somehow misunderstood it, particularly local elected states attorneys who will be charged with implementing the legislation, is rich coming from the governor." 

One hundred of Illinois' 102 state's attorneys have said they oppose the bill, with many other lawmakers and law enforcement officials specifically pushing back against the elimination of cash bail provision. 

Critics have also expressed concern over provisions of the bill that they believe will hamper law enforcement and that will allow currently incarcerated people to be released. "I know the governor disputes this but there are currently incarcerated individuals who are going to be released when this bill takes effect," Smith said. "So you're talking about not only the prospective application of this, but also the immediate flood of people that are going to be released back onto the streets statewide when this bill takes effect. And that, I would say, is going to have a very negative impact on public safety in Illinois."

State Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Urbana) called for a revision to the bill that would increase a judge's ability to detain suspects considered a flight risk or potential danger to others. "As a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of presuming innocence for individuals before being proven guilty, supporting police and keeping violent criminals out of our neighborhoods," Bennett said. "Senate Bill 4228 is an effort to improve consistency in the SAFE-T Act and allow law enforcement officials to continue to effectively perform their duties and protect our communities."

One provision of the SAFE-T Act that took effect in January of this year allows criminal defendants who are awaiting trial on home confinement to move freely, without electronic monitoring, two days a week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The defendants are supposed to use that time to look for employment, attend school, undergo treatment for drug addiction or mental illness, or grocery shop. However, in the first three months of 2022, around two dozen people were arrested in Cook County during their "essential movement" days. Democratic Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has called for an end to the "essential movement" provision, stating, “At a bare minimum, they should say, ‘If you’re charged with a violent offense, and you’re given home monitoring, you don’t get to wander around free for two days a week.'"