Assistant Minority Leader and State Representative John M. Cabello issued the following statement on the failure of the Illinois SAFE-T Act to prevent the tragic shooting at Swedish Hospital on Saturday that claimed the life of a Chicago Police Officer and critically wounded another:
“The suspect charged in the murder of a Chicago Police Officer and attempted murder of another officer who is fighting for his life is a repeat offender with a long list of felonies on his record who, because of the SAFE-T Act, was not incarcerated at the time of the shooting despite having multiple active warrants for his arrest, and being on parole in two separate cases.
Governor Pritzker and his allies in the General Assembly owe the people of Illinois answers and accountability for how a dangerous offender like this was free to be on our streets and allegedly commit such a heinous and tragic crime. House Republicans have introduced more than 40 bills to fix flaws in the SAFE-T Act, strengthen accountability, and restore balance to Illinois’ criminal justice system. Those reforms have been repeatedly ignored.
The SAFE-T Act is broken and must be changed. Illinois families will continue to be at-risk until the Governor and House Democrats back down from their refusal to admit the real-life consequences of their policies and work with Republicans to truly protect public safety.”
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John M. Cabello is the Assistant Minority Leader and State Representative for Illinois’ 90th House District, which includes the following communities in Winnebago, Stephenson, and Boone counties: Rockford, Machesney Park, Freeport, Roscoe, Loves Park, Rockton, South Beloit, Caledonia, Durand, Rock City, and Rockton.