Lake County Gazette

The SAFE-T Act continues to be a hot topic for Illinois candidates and elected officials. The criminal justice reform bill signed into law back in January of 2021 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker has received major pushback from law enforcement, state’s attorneys and state representatives.

The SAFE-T Act was written with intentions to promote equitable due process among other things during the course of Illinois’ criminal justice process. Those who oppose the SAFE-T Act argue that it restricts the tools necessary for law enforcement to properly do their jobs and the requirements stipulated, such as body cameras, may cause significant financial strain for many police departments.

“As a former mayor and head of our local police department, I can state firsthand that democratic policies that my opponent, Mary Morgan, and those like her who are soft on crime advocate for only expedites the retirement of experienced officers, exposing our families and businesses to greater harm," said state Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills). "The SAFE-T Act and its cashless bail requirement takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023 and is opposed in all 102 counties by an  overwhelming majority of state’s attorneys. They understand the dangerous impact of releasing violent offenders and what it will do to overwhelm our law enforcement officers, court systems and the harm it will potentially cause to individual families and businesses. It’s about time we made crime illegal again in the State of Illinois."

As of Jan. 1 when SAFE-T-Act provisions become effective, the following offenses will be considered "non-detainable": Arson, burglary, aggravated battery, aggravated DUI, aggravated fleeing, drug-induced homicide, intimidation, kidnapping, robbery, threatening a public official and second-degree murder. People who are charged with those crimes will be released without bail, 97 ZOK reported.

Pritzker recently defended the elimination of cash bail, according to The Center Square. 

"We do not want someone in jail because they were arrested for a low-level crime like shoplifting to be sitting in jail for months or maybe even years," Pritzker said. "At the same time, someone who is a wealthy drug dealer, perhaps accused of murder and arrested, can show up with a suitcase full of money and get out of jail."

Supporters of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, including the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, point to the legislation as a step toward making the justice  system more equitable for minorities, Capitol News Illinois reported. Republicans have called the SAFE-T Act a “de facto defund the police bill" because of the additional regulations it places on police officers.

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 a 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. Democrat 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.'"

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. Thirteen percent 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.

McLaughlin is running for his second term as a state representative in the 52nd District. McLaughlin is a small businessman and financial expert specializing in pension management. Serving as the president of Barrington Hills, he has lowered the village’s tax levy for seven out of his eight years in office, for a total reduction of 24%.