Controversial SAFE-T law goes into effect in Illinois, minus key provision suspended by judge

A controversial criminal justice reform bill officially went into effect on Sunday, except for a key provision put on hold by a court at the last minute, which will make significant changes to the way the forces of order deal with crimes in the state.

Illinois’ SAFE-T (Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today) law went into effect on Sunday, though a key part of the bill, which eliminates cash bail in the state, was halted when the Illinois Supreme Court issued a stay at the last minute on Saturday evening in order to “maintain consistent pre-trial proceedings throughout Illinois.”

Other provisions of the bill that went into effect Sunday, such as limiting when defendants can be considered flight risks, allowing defendants under electronic monitoring to leave their homes for 48 hours before they can be charged with escape and prevent police from arresting non-violent intruders were widely critical by politicians and commentators on both sides of the political spectrum.

Critics say the new measures will handcuff police and increase crime by releasing criminals with tickets rather than arresting them for certain crimes.

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“When I said it was the most dangerous law I’ve ever seen, I believed it,” Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said. told Fox News.

Franklin County Sheriff Kyle Bacon told Fox News that from what he can tell about the SAFE-T law, “there is no drug offense other than one involving a high level firearm or drug offense that can be possessed”.

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Chicago Police Department homicide detectives are investigating the shooting.
(Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

As a result, he fears that not only will the high volume of such crimes continue, but low-level, drug-addicted criminals will also not have the opportunity to clean themselves up if released immediately upon arrest.

“It’s a snowball effect if the drug problem is driving these deaths and burglaries that we’re having,” Bacon said. “They are a struggle for rural departments to follow.”

“Just booking someone in and sending them out before they’re even sober, I don’t see much benefit,” he told Fox News. “I hope I’m wrong, but it’s worrying.”

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Chicago Police Department officers are on patrol at the city’s lakefront over the 4th of July weekend.
(Chicago Police Department)

The new law also allows anonymous complaints of misconduct against police officers, whereas in the past police officers could know the identity of the person accusing them.

“It opens the door to the community of anti-police activists and the lawyers who represent them who are anti-police,” said retired Chicago Police Department Chief of Detectives Eugene Roy. told Fox News Digital earlier this year.

“The issue that nobody sees or overlooks is the effect on morale, recruitment and retention,” Roy said. “Anyone can just file a complaint against an officer. The investigating department or agency doesn’t have to tell the officer who it is, which hampers their ability to respond to the complaint. with precision and honesty. It has a detrimental effect on morale.”

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The SAFE-T Act will also require all state law enforcement officers to wear body cameras by January 1, 2025. Currently, only 10% of law enforcement agencies in the state are equipped with body cameras, WTVO-TV reported.

Another piece of legislation, Roy told Fox News Digital, prevents officers charged in a use-of-force incident from reviewing his body camera footage before making a statement. Officers can now change their statements after viewing the footage, but this, Roy notes, makes two connections – a situation Roy says is “ideal” for lawyers looking to cast doubt on the story of an officer who doesn’t may not have accurately reported all the details simply from memory in the first report.

“In criminal or civil cases resulting from arrests, this bill is ideal for defense attorneys and for attorneys who like to sue the police,” Roy said.

Chicago Alderman Anthony Napolitano, who represents the city’s 41st Ward and served as both a Chicago police officer and firefighter, told Fox News Digital earlier this year that his constituents were “out of their minds.” because of the “horse bill” and that he agrees with Roy that the bill will further degrade police morale by eliminating cash bail, which is now pending a future decision justice, and release criminals to the streets with just quotes.

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“It’s completely wrong in the direction we’re taking with crime and punishment,” Napolitano said. “The Safe-T law basically says if you commit a felony you get hit two, hit three, hit four, hit five, that’s just the wrong way to go.”

Fox News’ Teny Sahakian contributed to this report