Macon Reporter

The SAFE-T Act is slated to be implemented on Jan. 1, and the controversy surrounding it is not dying down, with some Republican candidates saying Democrats just went along with it to toe the party line.

"Radical Chicago Democrats are intent on forcing their ways onto the rest of the state,” Sandy Hamilton said. “It is apparent that Doris Turner is quite content to follow the directions of the likes of Pritzker and Madigan.”

Hamilton is running for the IL-48 Senate District. 

“When radical Chicago Democrats want Doris to support the SAFE-T Act, she falls in line,” the Republican challenger said. “Let it be clear, this is guaranteed to bring Chicago-style crime to our Central Illinois communities. As your state senator, I will not stand for this soft on crime attitude. I want to protect our communities; Doris wants to protect criminals."

The SAFE-T Act has been criticized from the get-go. The Illinois State Legislature passed it in January 2021. It addresses many aspects of criminal justice reform, including the banning of cash bail, prohibiting pre-trial detention for several crimes, and increasing training and equipment requirements for Police Departments. 

The bill passed the General Assembly unanimously and the Senate by a 32-23 vote. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill a few days later. 

The ICJIA website states that the SAFE-T Act enacts extensive reform impacting many areas of the criminal justice system, including pre-arrest diversion, policing, pretrial, sentencing, and corrections. 

One aspect of it that has drawn the most criticism is its elimination of cash bail in the state of Illinois. The bill noted it will be “presumed that a defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance” and may be detained thereafter if they violate certain conditions listed in 725 ILCS 5/110-2. 

Another critique involves how it will affect police procedure and the cost of following its mandates.

The Police 1 website reported that the SAFE-T Act has provisions that will restrict the level of force officers may use while pursuing an offender or making an arrest if the officer reasonably believes the person can be apprehended at a later date. It will be illegal for law enforcement to shoot a taser at someone’s back, pelvis and head, which currently is a "recommended target" in police training. 

Body cameras will be made mandatory for all law enforcement officers by 2025, but the legislation provides no state funding for that.

It also stipulates that officers cannot make custodial arrests for Class B misdemeanors, which include criminal trespass and window-peekers. Instead of arresting suspects, officers will have to issue a citation and they won’t have the authority to remove a person from private or public property unless they are acting in a threatening manner. 

With the lack of funding for body cams, many localities are dealing with the question of how to raise revenue to comply with the SAFE-T Act. The Center Square reported the Kane County Board is discussing its first property tax hike in a decade, claiming they need it to fill a $3 million deficit created by unfunded mandated reforms in the SAFE-T Act. 

State’s attorneys broadly oppose it, with 100 of the 102 office holders calling it out for one reason or another. Recently, State’s Attorney James Glasgow was asked about the SAFE-T Act by WGN10 Radio.

“The bottom line is the law [The SAFE-T Act] is unconstitutional,” Glasgow said, pointing to Article I Section 9 of the Illinois State Constitution, which states, “[a]ll persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties,” except for capital offenses, death penalty, life in prison, or felonies with mandatory prison. 

Hamilton describes herself as a "conservative who wants to govern while not sacrificing … core principles.” She has resided in Springfield for more than 20 years and is married and the mother to three boys, her website says.