North Cook News

Public safety has been a major talking point for campaigns this election cycle, with many incumbents and campaigns criticizing the SAFE-T Act, a criminal justice reform bill that goes into effect on January 1st, 2023. Jack Vrett, candidate for State Rep in the 53rd district, released a statement condemning the bill and criticizing his opponent Mark Walker for defending it.

"Voters have a choice in November," Vrett said in a statement. "They can choose to support an incumbent State Representative [Mark Walker] who ignores their real concerns on public safety and chalks it up to 'exaggeration,' or they can vote for me, who will repeal the SAFE-T Act that hampers prosecutors' abilities to put criminals behind bars and makes local families' safety my number one priority."

The ICJIA website states that the SAFE-T Act enacts extensive reform impacting many areas of the criminal justice system, including pre-arrest diversion, policing, pretrial, sentencing, and corrections.

The most contested aspect of the SAFE-T Act is that it will eliminate cash bail in the state of Illinois. The bill noted it will be “presumed that a defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance” and may be detained thereafter if they violate certain conditions listed in 725 ILCS 5/110-2.

Police 1 reported on some of the major provisions of the SAFE-T Act, those being: Restricts the use of force officers can use while pursuing an offender or making an arrest if the officer reasonably believes the person can be apprehended at a later date It will be illegal for law enforcement to shoot a taser at someone’s back, pelvis and head. Currently it is a ‘recommended target’ in all police officer training. 

Body cameras will be made mandatory for all law enforcement agencies by 2025, whether funding is made available. The Illinois attorney general will be able to impose a civil penalty against an individual officer - up to $25,000 for a first offense and $50,000 for a second offense Officers cannot make custodial arrests for Class B misdemeanors, which would include criminal trespass and window peekers. Instead of making an arrest, officers will be required to issue a citation and does not have the authority to remove a person from private or public property unless they are acting in a threatening manner.

Vrett told North Cook News, “Rep. Mark Walker is digging his heels into this bad legislation instead of listening to the families, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials who have honest and deep concerns about the impact that the elimination of cash bail will have on the safety of their communities.”

Vrett is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and was later assigned as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. Jack and his wife Rose Marie live in Arlington Heights and are active members in their community and are members of the local VFW and serve on their Parish Council.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker defended the elimination of cash bail, according to The Center Square. 

"We do not want someone in jail because they were arrested for a low-level crime like shoplifting to be sitting in jail for months or maybe even years," Pritzker said. "At the same time, someone who is a wealthy drug dealer, perhaps accused of murder and arrested, can show up with a suitcase full of money and get out of jail."