Rock Island Today

Rock Island County sheriff candidate Patrick Moody is slamming the SAFE-T Act.

“New feature starts today and it will be posted every Wednesday. It's called ‘The Illinois Safe-T Act (HB3653) hurts law enforcement and public safety,'’’ Moody posted on Facebook. “This bill will endanger communities and individual citizens and emboldened criminals if not repealed or changed. Democratic politicians passed this bill and it's disastrous for many reasons. One measure makes it a felony for an officer that doesn't comply with laws and departmental policies requiring the use of body worn cameras but prohibits officers from reviewing their own body cam video before writing a report.”

Moody said in the post that the amount of stupidity is "astonishing with this provision."

“You can't have your cake and eat it too. Law enforcement agencies are more than capable of handling misuse of body cams, which includes other serious violations (cannot delete or alter recordings). Officers will obviously face discipline, up to termination if they become problematic when it comes to body cam policies. To charge an officer for a Class 3 Felony (two to five years in prison) because of a body cam violation is insane, considering the amount of leniency given toward habitual or violent criminals in Illinois for far worse crimes. If 'criminal behavior' is the concern, bad officers will be held accountable if or when they cross the line. Reviewing body cam footage before writing a report should be required, not prohibited. It provides accuracy and it's apparent, this is not wanted from the individuals who added this into this disastrous bill or supported it. Yes ... some things are good in this bill but much of it is garbage. You will hear more next Wednesday (No Cash Bond Provision). Stay tuned,” he said.

The SAFE-T Act is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2023. It will remove cash bail from criminal cases.

The prosecution has the burden of proof under the SAFE-T Act if they think a person accused of a crime should be kept in jail, Prairie State Wire reported. Detention is only permitted under the law if it is proven that the defendant "poses a specific, real and present threat to a person or has a high likelihood of willful flight."  

"This January, if nothing is done, mayhem will ensue across Illinois as alleged perpetrators held in pre-trial confinement for crimes from petty theft all the way up to murder will be let out of jail everywhere," Mike Koolidge, a spokesman for the Political Action Committee People Who Play By the Rules, said, Prairie State Wire reported. "Any respectable legislator and state's attorneys who doesn't do something about this before then will have blood on their hands, the least of which being the man who signed this catastrophic bill into law, Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker."

Moody is a former police officer, who spent the majority of his career with the Moline Police Department, and Army veteran, according to his website.

Moody is one of an increasing number of members of the local police department who are criticizing the ordinance.

State's Attorney for Will County James W. Glasgow recently stated that with the upcoming implementation of statewide cashless bail under the SAFE-T Act, the violence is likely to worsen.

The bill enables even people accused of the most serious offenses to be released on bail without having to post a monetary bond.

“A murderer who was on an ankle bracelet in the city of Chicago killed the person that was the eyewitness against him in the first murder," Glasgow noted regarding a recent cashless bail case in Chicago, according to the Will County Gazette.