COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) — Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart wants to get out of the electronic monitoring business. He says because of a provision of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, he is unable to properly ensure public safety.
There is some pushback on the move, and it’s coming from the Chief Judge in Cook County.
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The Cook County Sheriff is charged with locking up pre-trial defendants who judges deem too dangerous to release. But, there are another 1,500 who are sent home with electronic monitoring bracelets that allow the sheriff’s department to track their movements 24 hours a day. Those defendants are often allowed to leave their homes for school, work or other activities. The sheriff uses geofencing to make sure those individuals stay within their allowed areas.
However, Sheriff Dart says defendants, who are allowed two days a week to move freely under the …