* Context…
As far back as 1963, then-civil rights attorney George N. Leighton, who went on to become a federal judge, said the “number of (police brutality) cases” was “so numerous” and the patterns of brutality “so complex” that his Chicago branch of the NAACP hired an investigator just to document the allegations.
* So, I think Mark Brown nailed it…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel helped crystallize the Laquan McDonald case for me Monday, although not quite in the way he intended.
Still struggling to contain the political fallout from McDonald’s alleged murder by a Chicago police officer, the mayor characterized the situation surrounding the teenager’s death as an “inflection point” that can lead to real, substantive reform in the Police Department.
“It cannot be just another incident,” Emanuel vowed as he introduced a new boss at the Independent Police Review Authority.
That’s it, though, isn’t it? That’s been the problem.
Right from the start, city government from the mayor on down treated McDonald’s death at the hands of a police officer as “just another incident.”
Just another police shooting. In a city that records dozens every year. […]
There’s a popular narrative in some quarters that Emanuel and his minions covered up McDonald’s shooting to get past the election. It’s possible, I suppose.
But I think the real problem may be that the alarm bells barely sounded at all.
There have been other police shootings, other citizen complaints, other videos, but people barely took notice. The city’s big media outlets weren’t even the ones which finally pried that McDonald shooting video from the government. There was no series of thundering editorials, columns and blog posts in April after the city council voted to give $5 million to McDonald’s survivors.
The mayor and just about everybody else treated this the same way they’ve always treated these things.
But this one crystallized it for people.
* Mary Mitchell also nails it…
Video footage released by Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez on Monday showing the police shooting of Ronald Johnson last year revealed more than a fatal police shooting.
It showed the turmoil that some Chicagoans are living in as a result of gun violence — turmoil that has also made it harder to hold police officers accountable for misconduct. […]
Prior to the shooting — something that is not captured on the video — Johnson allegedly struggled with another police officer and was able to break free, according to Alvarez’s investigation.
At one point, five police officers and at least three police patrol cars and a marked Tahoe were involved in the chase.
Officers were dispatched to the scene when frightened residents called 911 to complain about shots being fired. You could hear the fear in their voices.
Residents reported shots being fired in front of 346 E. 53rd St., and that there were hooded black males running in the backyards and trying to get into the building’s entrance.
One exasperated caller pleaded with police officers to do something.
Unbeknownst to scared residents, a group of males that included Johnson had left a party in the nearby building and someone had shot out the back window of the car the group was traveling in.
Way too many Illinoisans are trapped in their own homes while this insane street war rages on around them.
* Agreed…
Chicago’s best hope — and the mayor’s best hope — is the federal Justice Department investigation announced Monday. This sort of “pattern and practice” probe, which likely will lead to long-term federal court supervision of the Chicago Police Department, has worked wonders for other police departments. In the most successful cases, the use of deadly force declines while crime rates decline or hold steady — and community trust soars.
“This mistrust from members of the community makes it more difficult to gain help with investigations, to encourage victims and witnesses of crimes to speak up, and to fulfill the most basic responsibilities of public safety officials,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Monday, announcing the investigation.
Yep, that would be Chicago. Bring in the feds.
* I wrote about this topic last week…
[Rep. Elgie Sims] and [Sen. Kwame Raoul] also suggested licensing police officers, in that suspending or revoking a license might serve as an extra level of enforcement, as with lawyers, doctors and other licensed professionals.
Republican state Sen. Tim Bivins actually introduced a police licensing bill way back in 2010…
Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board has the power to require local governmental units to furnish personnel rosters, employment status reports, and annual training plans to the Board. Provides that a police officer who has been licensed, certified, or granted a valid waiver shall be decertified or have his or her license or waiver revoked upon a determination by the Illinois Labor Relations Board State Panel that he or she knowingly and willfully violated a rule or regulation of his or her department or agency that has as a penalty the discharge or dismissal of the officer from the department or agency. Establishes hearing procedures on decertification. Contains other provisions.
Bivins’ bill attracted just two co-sponors (the Democrat Raoul and Republican Sen. Pam Althoff) and went nowhere.
* Other developments…
* ADDED: New FOIA bill on police videos filed: A bipartisan measure aimed at strengthening the right of the public to see police dash-cam video has been filed in the Illinois House in the wake of law-enforcement-involved shooting deaths in Chicago. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Art Turner, D-Chicago, and co-sponsored by Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, provides that such videos, including dash-cam and body videos, are not exempt from the state’s Freedom of Information Act unless an agency obtains a court order. The bill also requires a court to conduct an expedited hearing when an exemption to the FOIA Act is claimed.
* Video shows Chicago cops repeatedly using Taser, then dragging suspect from cell
* Chicago police commander goes on trial today on charges he assaulted suspect
* Chicago Police Department Chief of Detectives Dean Andrews Resigns
* African-American Legislators Call for Expanded Probe of Chicago Police
- What? - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 11:51 am:
I completely agree on all points that you made, Rich. An honest take on a serious issue.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 11:51 am:
The lessons learned from Cincinnati:
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/07/458828493/former-cincinnati-chief-recalls-challenges-of-police-reform
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 11:57 am:
I found out last night that, apparently, there is no legal requirement akin to an oath that requires police to tell the truth on their reports. This seems like an enormous loophole that should be closed ASAP. Licensing seemingly would be a good way to go.
- Casual Observer - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 11:58 am:
Rich -
I think Will Caskey nailed it to the wall:
“And here’s the saddest part of this story: the mayor did not do what he’s being accused of doing, namely cover up a police murder so that he could get re-elected.
What the mayor did was worse: He did nothing….
….And thus we come to what Emanuel did wrong. He didn’t cover up anything about the McDonald murder. He didn’t have to. Police murders cover up themselves in Chicago.?
The police union lies to the press and the press believes them. And when they get caught lying the Chicago press ignores it. It took a story by the out of state Washington Post to establish that FOP spokesman Pat Camden does in fact lie all of the time.
Police leadership uses administrative leave for discipline. They don’t have to do this. It’s just what they do.
The mayor signs off on administrative leave. He doesn’t have to do this. It’s just what he does.
And we re-elect the mayor, who did nothing about a child being shot 16 times in the back and is an abject moral failure because of it.
Because that’s what we do here too.”
- 10-4 - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 12:02 pm:
It is easy to support additional training sessions for police officers until you realize that a part of the problem is that the City of Chicago always skimps and tries to do its training on the super cheap. Sit down officers and watch the worn out videotape on the television set with the fuzzy picture tube. Likewise, many police officers take their classes at the City Colleges and the level of instruction is often subpar because the college district prefers poorly paid adjuncts to full-time faculty. In this way more money can line the pockets of bureaucrats and unqualified administrators.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 12:04 pm:
–The city’s big media outlets weren’t even the ones which finally pried that McDonald shooting video from the government. There was no series of thundering editorials, columns and blog posts in April after the city council voted to give $5 million to McDonald’s survivors.–
Much of Chicago big media just plays personality, who’s up/who’s down politics. It’s shallow and easy.
The greatest offender is the Tribbie edit board. They’ve played the Rauner-good/Madigan-bad game for months without once engaging in a thoughtful analysis of the issues involved.
Come to think of it, they never even identify the issues involved. It’s dumbfounding how you can “opine” on budgets, economics, growth, jobs, etc. and never reference a number.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 12:15 pm:
Rule 14 of the Rules and Regulations of the Chicago Police Department prohibits “Making a false report, written or oral.” http://www.cityofchicago.org/dam/city/depts/cpb/PoliceDiscipline/RulesofConduct.pdf
Due to a provision in the FOP contract, it’s very difficult for the public to know how many Rule 14 violations are alleged, much less how many are investigated. The police union’s contract prohibits the city or Independent Police Review Authority from 1) naming officers accused of misconduct, or 2) disclosing details of administrative investigations unless the allegations are proven true.
But it’s worth noting that Rule 15 prohibits “Intoxication on or off duty” — so I’m guessing these aren’t the most strenuously enforced rules in Chicago.
– MrJM
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 12:20 pm:
MrJM, thanks for posting that Rules of Conduct.
I’d suggest anyone interested in CPD operations give it a read.
Anyone who has been shedding tears for McCarthy since his dismissal would especially find it enlightening, as he is one of the few to admit that he read the police reports and viewed the McDonald video early in the process.
- crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 12:22 pm:
== turmoil that has also made it harder to hold police officers accountable for misconduct ==
Mary Mitchell is an apologist for power, addicted to the same kind of media behavior that has enabled these issues to go unaddressed.
Two wrongs doesn’t make a right. Sometimes there aren’t actually “two sides” to cover. There is no possible circumstance on Chicago streets that has ever, or will ever, justify police misconduct. None.
It’s as “hard” to hold police accountable as we want it to be.
Some people want police accountability to be nigh impossible. Lots more people simply default to their catechism of excuses and blind “support.” Others just don’t consider it a priority for sustained attention and pressure.
That is the crux of the issue.
Police violence BREEDS community violence. It’s not excused by it.
- NoGifts - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 12:34 pm:
The number of police shootings are far fewer than the number of times people have been roughed up during and after arrest. We have lost sight of that and it deserves as much if not more attention since it is far more frequent and has such a corrosive effect.
- Tone - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
“The greatest offender is the Tribbie edit board. They’ve played the Rauner-good/Madigan-bad game for months without once engaging in a thoughtful analysis of the issues involved. ”
I agree in part. Where was the media over the last 40 years about pensions? Why is there public employee pension protection in the IL Constitution, but us suckers in private workforce left paying for it?
Rauner is most definitely good vs. Madigan.
- The Old Professor - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 1:05 pm:
I first heard about the way power worked in Chicago as a high school and college student in Los Angeles: the 1968 Democratic Convention and the Chicago 8, then 7, trials, the term “police riot” in the Walker Report, Mike Royko’s book Boss about Mayor Daley, Studs Terkel’s books Working and Division Street: America, about the non-powerful in Chicago. Back then, I wouldn’t have thought I’d ever live in Illinois. Even now, I can’t believe it hasn’t gotten better over 45 years.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 1:16 pm:
Haven’t seen it, but the Mexican consulate in chicago even commissioned a report on police misconduct in response to too many officers framing Mexican nationals. Detective Guevara being the most notorious and the subject of the largest single jury verdict against CPD (21 million). BTW, very myopic press coverage characterizing this as exclusively an African-American issue.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 2:09 pm:
twitter coverage from Rummana Hussain and Trib articles so far worth reading on the Commander Evans trial. Defense attorney playing only to the judge…and future police clients.
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
Filing a false police report should be, at a minimum, official misconduct. It also could be disorderly conduct.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
Just so we’re clear. The death of McDonald was not an inflection point nor was the video tape evidence or the $5M settlement. The release of the video to the public was the inflection point.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 2:38 pm:
==Even now, I can’t believe it hasn’t gotten better over 45 years.==
==And we re-elect the mayor==
And the Aldermen, State’s Attorney, Cook County Commissioners, Attorney General and everyone else capable of supervising the local justice system and police.
- Leapfrog - Tuesday, Dec 8, 15 @ 3:58 pm:
a considering all of the other shootings around the country…this was not view as “just another one” this was the Mayors 911..16 times? You could be at your moms Furneral…and I’m sure that you would be told of that “unusual” event…