Hinsdale Leader Warns Of Tent Cities

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale's village president on Tuesday raised the possibility of tent cities in local parks once a new crime law takes effect in January.

He also said residents have threatened to shoot those trespassing on their properties.

The Village Board voted to adopt a resolution denouncing the SAFE-T Act. The law bars police from arresting criminal trespassers in most cases and eliminates cash bail.

With the trespassing change, Village President Tom Cauley said, "I guarantee you that we're going to find ourselves with people just camped out in parks, and we cannot ask them to leave. They may be in your backyard or in your shed living there."

Currently, trespassing in the village may involve a tent city in a park, a drunk person yelling in a restaurant or someone screaming on a resident's doorstep, Cauley said. But the village can take care of those issues with the threat of arrest, he said.

Last week, he said, the village held a meeting about the new law with state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst; DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick; about 45 residents.

Three or four people, Cauley said, warned they may shoot those who criminally trespass on their properties.

"That creates a whole lot of other issues for the village of Hinsdale. This has got to be changed. This cannot continue," Cauley said. "I don't want people to engage in self-help where they're shooting people who happen to wander on their properties and are engaged in criminal trespass."

Cauley also argued the provision in the law eliminating cash bail provides too high of a standard for prosecutors to keep dangerous criminals in jail.

Last month, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin made the case to Hinsdale officials against the law, though he supported the general concept of doing away with cash bail.

Cauley gave no indication in his speech that the village has sought to hear from supporters of the law. Last month, a Democratic state lawmaker defended the law to the La Grange Village Board.

The Village Board voted unanimously for the resolution against the new law. The document acknowledged certain sections of the law, such as body camera requirements, were good policy.

Trustee Matthew Posthuma was absent. Trustee Laurel Haarlow, who attended remotely, did not vote, apparently because of technical issues with her connection.

Burr Ridge officials say they plan to pass a similar resolution later this month.