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OFFICE OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
ERIC F. RINEHART
STATE'S ATTORNEY
June 2, 2021
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Newton
(224) 374-2376
jnewton@lakecountyil.gov
Rinehart Praises Police and Legislators For Collaboration on Reform Bill Amendments
(Lake County, IL) - Late Monday night, the General Assembly passed amendments to the SAFE-T Act, which was originally signed by Governor Pritzker in February. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, who has been working with legislators, law enforcement, and reform leaders, released the following statement in response:
I join the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Attorney General’s Office, and others in supporting the amendments to the SAFE-T Act passed Monday night. These amendments preserve the critical reforms we fought for while also addressing law enforcement concerns about implementation.
The SAFE-T Act makes our communities safer and our criminal justice system more accountable. The original bill brought forth critical and sweeping reforms such as: elimination of cash in bail decisions, universal body cameras, increased police training, and preservation of law enforcement records. The law struck the right balance between keeping our streets safe and attempting to keep our neighborhoods free from government abuses.
For the past several weeks, I have been proud to represent Lake County in a collaboration between law enforcement leaders, legislators, reform advocates, and other prosecutors to strengthen and clarify the bill. The group came together in the spirit of cooperation and good faith. Even when we disagreed, each of us remained dedicated to the idea that we should strive for safety in all communities, while also moving toward a more fair and open legal system.
Not only did we succeed in clarifying the SAFE-T Act and reducing the possibility of unintended consequences, we also proved that reform is a dynamic process that will not end with one, or one hundred bills. Real reform will take time; but in Illinois, we are further down the path today because of the advocacy and initiative of those who wrote the original bill.
There is more work to be done: many in our county are still at risk of racial profiling; our law enforcement partners face too many dangers at the hands of criminals; and our courthouse still struggles to recognize the value of each individual – accused and accuser alike.
The passage of the SAFE-T Act, its amendments, and the collaborative approach to reform are important steps toward a system of equal justice for all.
The trailer bill amends only portions of the SAFE-T Act that had an effective date of July 1, 2021. Multiple law enforcement agencies and state’s attorney’s offices filed witness slips in support of the bill, while several other agencies indicated that they were “neutral” on the bill. No law enforcement agencies or legal organizations formally opposed the trailer bill. You can read more about the changes here.
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Lake County State's Attorney's Office
18 N. County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
Phone: (847) 377-3000
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