Preckwinkle defends criminal justice reforms as challenger Reilly pushes tough-on-crime stance

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle touted lower crime numbers and county investments in anti-violence programs, while her Democratic primary challenger Brendan Reilly called for changes to the county’s electronic monitoring system and the state’s criminal justice reform law championed by Preckwinkle.

The candidates’ varying approaches to issues of public safety were among the topics debated by the four-term county board president and 19-year Chicago alderman during a forum this week on WTTW-TV and an earlier appearance before the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

Reilly has made a tough-on-crime stance the centerpiece of his campaign, publicizing high-profile failures with the electronic monitoring program such as the arson attack on a woman aboard a CTA Blue Line train in November. The suspect in that case had been arrested more than 70 times and violated his monitoring restrictions at least five times in the days leading up to the unprovoked assault.

Reilly, who wants the monitoring program shifted back to Sheriff Tom Dart from Chief Judge Charles Beach, vowed to use the county board’s power of the purse to withhold funds from a program that “lacks the capacity to chase violators.”

“We certainly need to have someone in law enforcement managing that program for us, because we need sheriff’s deputies to go out and get these folks when they’ve been violating the terms of the monitoring agreement,” Reilly said.

“The general public was under the impression that when someone was put on electronic monitoring, they were being monitored 24/7, and if they were to move off their property and go out to the public, that someone would be there to scoop them up and bring them back in so that their victims aren’t revictimized,” he added. “And it’s been made clear that that’s not the case.”

Preckwinkle said she will work with Beach to implement changes he announced since coming aboard in December. The new protocols require anyone accused of a major violation to be brought before a judge within 24 hours — now on both weekdays and weekends.

“(Electronic monitoring) is a reasonable alternative in a complex of responses to alternatives to detention,” she said. “But it’s clear if there are serious violations, the person needs to be held accountable.”

While expressing dismay for the victim in the train arson attack, Preckwinkle pointed to statistics showing violent crime has decreased in Cook County. Murders have declined 50% over the past four years at the same time criminal justice reforms have been instituted, she said.

Shootings have dropped by 60% in neighborhoods where the county has invested nearly $200 million into violence prevention programs, she added.

Preckwinkle defended the SAFE-T Act she helped lobby for in Springfield and its key tenant that eliminated cash bail, leading to a decrease in the county jail population from 10,000 to 6,000. She said many inmates had been accused of nonviolent crimes but were detained since they couldn’t pay a nominal cash amount.

While agreeing there shouldn’t be cash bail for nonviolent offenders, Reilly said he would lobby for changes to the SAFE-T Act that would give judges more power to detain “violent repeat” offenders before trial.