Dupage Policy Journal

Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) recently announced at a press conference his support for House Bill 4499, which aims to repeal criminal justice provisions included in the Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today Act, or SAFE-T Act, according to a report by the State Journal-Register.

According to Durkin, the SAFE-T Act has created a haven for criminals in Illinois, resulting in a huge number of police officers quitting the force because he says the legislation targets their profession instead of individuals who violate the state's laws.

"In 2021 alone, almost 900 officers in the state of Illinois left their respective departments," Durkin said, "Seven hundred and seventeen retired and 176 others either resigned or transferred to other police agencies outside the state of Illinois; that's according to the latest figures we have, that will continue."

Durkin, who was accompanied at the press conference by Reps. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria), Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) and Pat Windhorst (R-Metropolis), also claimed the SAFE-T Act has made the state more dangerous for all its residents.

"Most everyone in the state besides the Democrats who passed this law knew there was going to be horrific real-world consequences by these poorly thought-out changes," Durking said, "People will be hurt and now we are seeing it first-hand."

Durkin cited an incident in which a 54-year-old woman bystander was shot and killed during an altercation between two men during a drug deal.

According to Durkin, one of the individuals responsible for the shooting will escape first-degree murder charges under the SAFE-T act, despite confessing to his involvement in the crime.

"The woman was murdered in the streets of Chicago, yet Democrats think the person who started the gunfire only committed a weapons violation," Durkin said.

Durkin also warned that similar incidents would occur in the future, describing Illinois as a  "nearly lawless state when it comes to crime."

"We see headlines every day of shootings and killings, violent attacks on retailers and yet the Democrats keep denying that there is a problem," Durkin said, "We have a governor, J.B. Pritzker, who is more concerned about masking children than unmasking criminals."

However, Democrats claim that Republicans' complaints are questionable, given most SAFE-T Act provisions have not yet taken effect.

One such provision, which takes effect in January 2023, intends to replace cash bail with a pretrial detention system that determines a suspect's risk to the public, rather than their ability to post bond.

Since its implementation, the SAFE-T Act has revised law enforcement's use-of-force guidelines, introduced a new system of police certification and extended detainee rights.