EDWARDSVILLE – Madison County, IL- Governor JB Pritzker recently shared that he is open to considering improvements to the SAFE-T Act. I appreciate his willingness to reexamine the law, and I welcome an honest conversation about what is—and isn’t—working for public safety in Illinois. I am still waiting for the Governor to finally step up and do something about correcting the deficiencies in the SAFE-T ACT.
Law enforcement across the state has raised consistent concerns about provisions that limit our ability to keep violent and repeat offenders in custody. We all want fairness in the justice system, but fairness cannot come at the expense of the safety of our communities. When individuals accused of the most violent crimes are released after a single hearing, victims lose confidence and families feel less safe. This must change.
For the Governor, it took a horrific and violent crime of a person being set on fire in a transit train, to wake him up and see the need to “tweak” or make changes to the SAFE-T ACT. To me, I see it nearly every day. Violent or repeat offenders should not be walking around on the prowl looking for their next victim. Just last Friday a Granite City Police Officer was shot multiple times in broad daylight by a repeat offender, and now this individual is required to have a hearing within days to determine whether or not he remains in custody. Why? The SAFE-T Act.
As Sheriff of Madison County, my priority is straightforward: protect the people who live, work, and raise their families here. Any revisions to state law must restore judicial discretion, strengthen accountability, and ensure the rights of victims remain front and center.
I encourage the Governor and our legislators to work directly with frontline law enforcement as they consider next steps. We see the impact of these policies every day, and our experience is essential to crafting solutions that actually make Illinois safer.
Now is the moment for our State leaders to take meaningful action. Madison County stands ready to support a conversation to support reforms that enhance public safety and uphold victim’s rights. Governor Pritzker, We applaud you for finally being willing to change the SAFE-T Act, but don’t make that statement a mere smoke screen. Step up and actually do something about it instead of just speaking words.
I encourage the Citizens of Madison County to research each of your below listed State Legislatures that represent part of Madison County, and see how they have responded to the need of changing the SAFE-T Act. Encourage them to either continue the fight, or stop looking the other way and take up the fight. Together, we all can make a difference.
*Illinois State Representative District 111 Amy Elik 217-782-5996
*Illinois State Representative District 112 Katie Stuart 217-782-8018
*Illinois State Representative District 109 Charles Meier 217-782-6401
*Illinois State Representative District 100 C.D. Davidsmeyer 217-782-1840
*Illinois State Representative District 113 Jay Hoffman 217-782-0104
*Illinois State Senator 56th District, Erica Harriss 217-782-5247
*Illinois State Senator 55th District, Jason Plummer 217-782-5755
*Illinois State Senator 50th District, Jil Tracy 217-782-2479
*Illinois State Senator 57th District, Christopher Belt 217-782-5399
Sheriff Jeff C. Connor
Madison County Sheriff
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