Metro East Sun

The SAFE-T Act, set to go into effect on Jan. 1, has been subject to criticism from state’s attorneys to candidates for office.

The provision in the bill that abolishes cash bail has been the key recurring talking point for both sides. In lieu of cash bail is a system where the "burden of proof" for pretrial detention falls to the state. Gov. JB Pritzker has expressed that the bill as a whole will bring equitable change to Illinois’ justice system. The opposition has been adamant that the SAFE-T Act will not make citizens more safe, but simply overburden police departments, and provide the opportunity for violent criminals to be released back onto the streets.

“Instead of patrolling the streets and keeping Illinois families safe, police officers may be buried in paperwork thanks to the LaToya Greenwood-backed SAFE-T Act," Kevin Schmidt, candidate for Illinois House, District 114, said on Facebook. "Under the act, which takes effect next year, officers arresting someone for a crime may be looking at 6-8 hours of paperwork for that one arrest. Officers should be on the streets not in an office filling out paperwork. We need to repeal the LaToya Greenwood-backed SAFE-T Act and we need to do it now.”

The Illinois courts website states that the "Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force was created in 2020 to prioritize and implement the recommendations of the Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices and help prepare the justice system for the changes coming once the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) takes effect in 2023." The PFA was a part of Public Act 101-0652; originally HB3653, the SAFE-T Act.

In a Chicago Sun Times op-ed article, former Riverside police chief Tom Weitzel wrote what he believes this means for police departments across the state. Weitzel begins by explaining the better known provisions of the SAFE-T Act and the consequences. He continued on to talk about the administrative burden the average police officer is facing following the action of the Pretrial Implementation Task Force.

According to Weitzel's op-ed, police officers on a felony arrest will likely start choosing to not make that arrest. The reasoning behind this is because with the elimination of cash bail and "burden of proof" for pretrial detention falling to the state, it is possible the individual committing a felony will be released back onto the street while the officer must complete potentially 6-8 hours of paperwork for that one arrest, he opined.

Weitzel wrote that he believes that the implementation of the SAFE-T Act will create "apathy and low morale" in police officers across the state. He concluded the op-ed by expressing that he is not advocating for this behavior nor is he claiming it is right, but in his opinion this is what will happen should the SAFE-T Act go into effect on Jan. 1.

The Center Square reported that on a recent campaign stop, Pritzker said if "making changes to the language" helps people to understand the bill and keeps the state safe, he would be open to it.

Schmidt describes himself as a “strong conservative” and a father and husband that has strong ties to the Metro East area. Schmidt’s priorities in Springfield will be job growth, resolving crime and fighting for tax reform.