Rep. David Welter recently went on a ride-along with the Oswego Police. | David Welter / Twitter
Rep. David Welter recently went on a ride-along with the Oswego Police. | David Welter / Twitter
State Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) is calling for Illinoisans to sign a petition to repeal the SAFE-T Act in light of the rising violence around the state and what he says is legislation that hinders police officers.
Welter posted a call for action on his Facebook account, saying, “Crime is rising in Illinois, police officers are under attack, and Democrat policies are making our state less safe. It’s time to show the men and women of law enforcement that we have their backs and repeal the SAFE-T Act in Illinois. Sign the petition at https://www.ilhousegop.org/repeal"
According to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, "The 2021 Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act enacts extensive reform impacting many areas of the criminal justice system, including pre-arrest diversion, policing, pretrial, sentencing, and corrections. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority is tasked with implementing several of the Act’s provisions. These areas of the Act include policing, pretrial, and deaths in custody, as well as leading and serving on task forces."
The SAFE-T Act was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Jan. 22, 2021 despite opposition from state Republicans. The legislation was proposed to address what Democrats said was widespread abuse by the police and police departments in Illinois and around the rest of the nation.
The SAFE-T Act eliminates cash bail for nonviolent offenders by 2023, allows certain people accused of felonies to not have to be detained before trial, and imposes restrictions on Illinois police officers. Law enforcement groups and police unions stated that the SAFE-T Act poses a threat to pubic safety. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx supported the legislation.
State Republicans have been trying to get the legislation repealed ever since it passed. They say that it puts police officers in danger and does not allow law enforcement to safely or effectively conduct its job.
There were 797 homicides in Chicago in 2021, which was more than New York or Los Angeles and the most the city has seen since 1996. The city saw 3,561 shooting incidents in 2021, which was 1,415 more than in 2019, according to ABC7.
In 2021, 346 police officers across the country were shot and 63 were killed, including nine in Illinois.
Over this past weekend, 3 people were killed in Chicago, including an 8-year-old boy, and another 13 people were wounded by gunfire.
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