As the new complete criminal justice reform law in Illinois goes into effect on Sunday, local law enforcement is planning new ways to effectively serve and protect law-abiding individuals, according to a local sheriff.
According to Kyle Bacon, sheriff of Franklin County, “We’ve spent a lot of time trying to prepare for what’s coming.” “Our top priority has been sorting through a thousand pages to figure out what our function is, what will change, and how we might best serve the people whose safety we are responsible for.”
The Security, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act of Illinois, which took effect on January 1st, completely redesigned the state’s legal system with provisions like limiting the time when defendants can be considered flight risks and allowing defendants who are being monitored electronically to leave their home for 48 hours before being charged with eluding authorities. A few hours before the bill was scheduled to go into effect, the state’s Supreme Court issued a stay of that part of the law.
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau previously told Fox News that he “believes” the law is the most hazardous he has ever seen.
The proposed reforms have been the subject of “what feels like hundreds of hours of training and discussion,” according to Bacon, who was elected sheriff in November. And there are just so many unanswered questions.
He said Fox News, “My focus has been to be ensuring that those who commit certain crimes can remain in jail.” We put a lot of effort into offering the finest services we can, yet occasionally it feels like we’re paddling against the flow.
