Are gun silencers a threat to safety?

A bill under consideration in Illinois would make gun silencers legal, reports ABC’s Eyewitness News. “The suppressor makes a firearm a safer gun,” said Josh Waldron, CEO of SilencerCo.
“It protects your hearing and makes the person firing the firearm, more comfortable and less likely to flinch when he pulls the trigger.” Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart disagrees. “Frequently the telephone calls that come in to law enforcement about problems that occur on streets come from neighbors who have heard gunshots out there. If there was none of that, it would decrease the ability for law enforcement to get to a location and quickly find out what happened.”