Oak Lawn Board Approves Measure Calling For Illinois SAFE-T Act Repeal

OAK LAWN, IL — Oak Lawn village officials will send a signed resolution demanding that the Illinois state legislature repeal the SAFE-T Act to the office of Gov. J.B. Pritzker after village trustees unanimously approved the passing of the resolution this week.

The board passed the resolution with a unanimous vote at its meeting on Tuesday night. The SAFE-T Act was passed by the legislature in 2021 but has several provisions ­­— including a controversial abolishment of cashless bail that will go into effect on Jan. 1.

The Act will also include a long list of violent crimes that opponents of the bill say will be considered non-detainable, including second-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, and arson. The bill has been the source of much debate and misinformation in recent months about what will be allowed once the new provisions take effect at the start of the new year.

This week, Illinois Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) said he would introduce Senate Bill 4228 which would clarify language to improve how officials can enforce the law.

“As a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of presuming innocence for individuals before being proven guilty, supporting police, and keeping violent criminals out of our neighborhoods,” Bennett said in a statement. “Senate Bill 4228 is an effort to improve consistency in the SAFE-T Act and allow law enforcement officials to continue to effectively perform their duties and protect our communities.”

At its meeting on Tuesday, Oak Lawn trustees did not hold any discussions about the resolution after it was read by Board Chairman and Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer. But in previous meetings, trustees pointed to the fact that the village needed to do something to voice their concern and opposition to the SAFE-T Act.

Last week, Vorderer spoke out about the need to provide law enforcement with more support after a nationwide arrest warrant was issued for one of four suspects believed to be involved in a carjacking that took place in Oak Lawn in the spring.

Board members have been vocal about the rise of violent crime in Oak Lawn and said there needs to be more protection for local residents and police officers. The resolution says that things will get worse if the SAFE-T Act is not repealed and calls on members of the state legislature to repeal the act before the changes take place at the start of 2023.

The resolution states that law and order in a community must be a collaboration between local residents and the police and prosecutor they employ. The resolution says that the SAFE-T Act imposes significant changes impacting many aspects of the criminal justice system.

The resolution says that the SAFE-T Act puts both the public and police officers at-risk and changes the standard for felony murder, making it more difficult for prosecutors to charge some of society’s “most dangerous predators.”

“This act has created unprecedented changes for law enforcement agencies to fulfill its obligations to protect the public,” the resolution states, adding that the SAFE-T Act will disarm police officers “in a convoluted way.”