IL State Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) | Facebook/State Representative Chris Bos
IL State Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) | Facebook/State Representative Chris Bos
Illinois State Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) wants to improve safety for Illinois families and has publicly supported a repeal of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act.
According to Injustice Watch, the SAFE-T Act eliminates cash bail by 2023, allows certain defendants charged with felonies to not be detained before trial, and imposes restrictions on Illinois police officers. Law enforcement groups and police unions have stated they believe the law poses a threat to public safety.
"Every Illinois family deserves a neighborhood free of violence," Bos wrote in a June 27 Facebook post. "We have introduced a repeal of the SAFE-T Act, improvements to the FOID application process, the reinstatement of cash bail for violent crimes, and bills aimed at stopping organized crime and theft rings. Tell us what you think about public safety in Illinois at https://www.ilhousegop.org/safety."
A number of state's attorneys previously expressed concern over the legislation. According to the Center Square, the state's attorneys said one of their biggest concerns was the elimination of cash bail as of January 1, 2023.
Supporters of the law, which included the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, believed the legislation was a step towards making the justice system more fair for minorities, Capitol News Illinois reported.
One provision of the SAFE-T Act that already took effect allowed criminal defendants on house arrest the ability to move freely without electronic monitoring, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The goal was for the defendants to use that time to find jobs, attend school, undergo treatment, or go grocery shopping. However, in the first three months of the year, about two dozen people were arrested in Cook County during those "essential movement" days. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, a Democrat, has called for an end to the free movement days.
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.
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