Dupage Policy Journal

Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) on Jan. 20 threw his support behind repealing the SAFE-T Act at a press conference.

The Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act is a controversial bill brought forward by Democrats and signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Jan. 22, 2021. The highlights of the new legislation include addressing police use-of-force and misconduct, the requirement of body-worn cameras on all law enforcement and offender rights while in custody. 

The law has gained pushback from many conservatives.

At the press conference, Durkin prefaced his criticisms of the SAFE-T Act by disclosing his experience with the criminal justice system, saying he is well-versed after being a former prosecutor for Cook County and served on the narcotics bureau and felony trial division in California.

"The bill will now allow — which is been signed into law by the governor — would allow domestic abusers to call the wife, the girlfriend or the child they abused from lockup a minimum of six times while they are being detained without any restrictions at all on what they can talk about, what they can say to those individuals. And what will happen?" Durkin asked at the press conference. "Those will be calls of intimidation: 'Do not cooperate with the police or else.' That is not fiction, that is reality."

A resolution was filed on Jan. 5 by Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Alexander), urging the General Assembly to repeal the SAFE-T Act in its entirety, and 13 House Republicans, including Durkin, had joined Windhorst as co-sponsors as of Jan. 29.

Another House Republican, Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-DeWitt), has also drafted his own amendment for the SAFE-T Act, according to Cities929. It focuses on increased penalties for crimes involving a gun in carjackings and requiring written explanations for why offenders in a crime involving a gun are allowed to plead to a lesser charge.

"We need to repeal House Bill 3653. Start it over and start getting serious with criminals. Myself, and also everyone on this call, are prepared to negotiate to do something fair. Negotiations did not happen last year, and they clearly didn't happen in January when this bill was passed in the waning hours of the lame-duck session of the general assembly."

According to Advantage News, Democrats supporting the measure argue that the law offers protection to good officers while bringing more equity across all races in the criminal justice system.