Last week, a Chicago police officer, John Bartholomew, was killed and his partner was critically injured by a suspect already facing charges and out on pretrial release.

Before the SAFE-T Act, he would have been behind bars with a high bond for his pending charges.

Cases like this should force every policy maker in Illinois to answer this question: Does the SAFE-T Act protect criminals’ rights at the expense of the safety of the public and law enforcement? I say yes and I am not alone. JB Pritzker has previously admitted that the SAFE-T Act needs to be changed.

As the Republican leader in the Illinois House, I am promoting a clear solution to this specific problem. House Bill 5757 proposes a mandatory revocation of pre-trial release if offenders commit a new felony while out on electronic monitoring. It’s common-sense accountability.

However, fixing the failures of the SAFE-T Act is going to take more than this bill alone. Legislative fixes have repeatedly been offered by Republican lawmakers and stakeholders in the criminal justice system. Judges, prosecutors and police all agree that change must happen.

Preventable harm is unacceptable, especially when it results in the death of our heroes and innocent citizens. The revolving door for offenders must end. We have the legislative fixes – now we just need partners in the Democratic majority.

Poor public policy can have deadly consequences, and the SAFE-T Act is the prime example. Since enacted in 2021, it has enabled and emboldened criminals. The question is no longer whether reform is needed, but how quickly it must happen. We cannot continue to allow our state to prioritize criminals over victims, over families, over law enforcement, and over the security of our neighborhoods. HB 5757 is a tool that can help prevent the next public safety tragedy.

• Tony McCombie, R, Savanna, is the Illinois state representative for the 89th District.