Editorial: If you’re worried about ending cash bail, you’re fearmongering, Pritzker says
By The Editorial Board
Chicago Tribune |
Feb 22, 2021 at 4:25 PM
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law Monday a bill that will eliminate cash bail in Illinois, allow for anonymous complaints against police officers in disciplinary hearings and overhaul law enforcement protocols to be more hands off when apprehending suspects.
Some of the material in the 700-page bill passed last month is laudable and worth exploring, as we’ve said previously. But it’s undeniable that nearly every law enforcement agency and prosecutorial association in the state is ringing alarm bells about the changes, which were shoved through the legislature with little debate in the middle of the night — by design.
Working groups, meetings and hearings between handfuls of legislators and stakeholders on the concepts of the bill during COVID-19 lockdowns last summer and fall — meetings that defenders claimed covered the bases for public input and education — do not suffice. Other states that eliminated cash bail took time to engage the public and bring law enforcement on board. Not here. It’s no wonder the rank-and-file law enforcement community is angry. The bill was sprung into the public spotlight only weeks ago and now it’s the law.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-chicago-police-reform-trust-cash-bail-20210222-ib5jnlbrsjarfczbsesyxkcuzu-story.html
