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City Council Black Caucus issues “7-Point Plan of Action”

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* From the Chicago City Council Black Caucus…

“The breakdown in the system was real, and it was the direct result of decades of racism and neglect of communities of color,” said Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6), Black Caucus chair. “These are just the first steps, but we will remain committed to delivering full justice and making our Chicago the best that it can be for all of its citizens.”

Sawyer also noted that members of the Black Caucus have worked with the City’s Corporation Counsel to amend the way police misconduct settlements are handled.

“We are instituting protocol wherein the full City Council will receive a full briefing on these matters that will include all of the evidence, full discussion of the underlying case and a recommendation from Corporation Counsel,” said Sawyer. “To ensure we receive the full story, the plaintiff’s counsel will be on hand as well. Finally the video, if one exists, will be made available to the full Council at the briefing.”

* Their seven ideas…

1) CPD must stop shooting people in the back.

2) CPD employees who file false reports must be prosecuted. So far, the Cook County State’s Attorney has not pressed charges against the officers who filed false reports in the Laquan McDonald case. It has been more than 400 days, and still, no charges. This is unacceptable.

3) City Council and the Emanuel Administration must engage directly with the FOP to reform the disciplinary sections of the contract which at times have hindered proper action against officers who use excessive force or engage in other inappropriate behavior.

4) A special prosecutor is needed to pursue justice in all police involved shooting cases.

5) City Hall must support full integration with federal agencies to bring the resources necessary to tackle the systemic economic issues that have caused the conditions in our community.

6) The Blue Ribbon Task Force must be broadened to include community members, representation from the City Council, clinicians and members of the Defense Bar.

7) Due to the fractured nature of the relationship between the African American community and the CPD, we need full and serious consideration of an African American police superintendent to replace Supt. Garry McCarthy.

Your thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 5:54 pm

Comments

Some good recommendations. Not sure what #5 really means.

Comment by Sir Reel Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 6:14 pm
So if someone , anyone shoots at someone anyone and runs away a cop just lets him go because he is not allowed to shoot in the back. So the people in Calif run away from just shooting around 40 people you can’t end it all right there because you would shoot them in the back. They then go and shoot more, tell that to the families of the victims. Makes sense to what me. How about people do what a cop tells you to do. 99% of all victims of cop shootings have 1 thing in common, can anyone tell me what it is?

Comment by ISP Retired Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 6:30 pm
1. Had to be asked, but not feasible. Fleeing suspects are always at risk. Would ask for more less lethal weapons to be carried by police.
2,3 and 4. Reasonable changes.
5. Just asking for more money. Would rather they asked for help breaking the drug culture and cartels, programs to reduce children having children, and programs to provide positive alternatives to gangs.
6. Not sure. Large groups talk. Smaller groups work.
7. Understandable, but sounds racist. Would have preferred “a police commissioner with a record of working effectivelywith diverse communities “.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 6:33 pm
“99% of all victims of cop shootings have 1 thing in common” Just because I don’t do what you tell me doesn’t give you the right to shoot me.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 6:47 pm
And hence we get lawlessness. The black caucus is just covering their rears with this crap.

Comment by Tone Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 6:53 pm
No mention of body cameras?

Comment by Daniel Plainview Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 6:57 pm
#1 is a valid point. Even if a person of interest is running away from the police, that’s not a death penalty offense. Find another way to bring that person to justice. Shooting a runner is the back is just lazy.

Comment by DuPage Dave Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 6:57 pm
ISP, the mentality is bizarre. Why have police even?

Comment by Tone Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 7:28 pm
My serious comment about this list is that it’s a total joke.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 7:37 pm
2) CPD employees who file false…agreed

3) City Council and the Emanuel…agreed. What they have isn’t working

4) A special prosecutor…agreed.

5) City Hall must support…sounds mostly like mum bo jumbo, however, if giving consideration to concrete situations, ie, using TIF money to improve the conditions IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD rather than a give away to the Mayor’s supporters, that makes sense

6) The Blue Ribbon Task Force…as long as the size doesn’t become unwieldy

7) Due to the fractured…serious consideration? Of course.

Comment by morty Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 7:42 pm
Sawyer is Exhibit A for what’s wrong with Aldermen from economically challenged neighborhoods.

He sat on his hands and approved a $5 million settlement. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t demand an investigation. He didn’t do anything.

And now he’s outraged?

Had he done his job this would have been disclosed six months ago.

Comment by Gooner Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 7:45 pm
Mau-mauing the Flak-catchers

Give any officer who has falsified a report or made a false statement ten days to come forward, give them amnesty with some restrictions. Then, tell them they are all taking lie detectors.

Don’t know what the ethics officer over at CPD has been doing for the last 400 days, but it’s a fair question to ask.

Along with why it took Steve Patton 400 days to report those false police reports to the inspector general.

Zero tolerance policy for false reports and statements. Automatic termination, no exceptions.

Amend the contract to provide for termination for failing to report a fellow officer’s malfeasance, no exceptions.

Require any plea or adminsrative action in lieu of prosecution to include forfeiture of pension.

Require mayor’s signature on every disciplinary action for CPD personnel.

Require mayor’s signature on any settlement agreement, prohibit gag clauses, and require them to be paid out of the CPD budget.

Comment by Causal Observer Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 8:07 pm
If you saw the presentation Alverez put on where the fleeing suspect shot the officer you would have to discount #1.

If you lie then the chips fall where they may. Of course there is a law that if you make a false claim against an officer you are supposed to be prosecuted. over 100 cases have been given to her. How many has she went to court on? Zero

The protections in the police contract I would guess are because of abuses by the city. They I believe were won at arbitration not negotiation.

The rest look good to me.

Comment by Retired City Employee Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 8:14 pm
–Mau-mauing the Flak-catchers–

You can’t be serious.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 9:30 pm
I still want to know who got the 5 million, not that the victims family doesn’t deserve it, but if he was a legal ward of the state I don’t understand, any lawyers to help, isn’t that settlement agreement foiable?

Comment by Zero Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 9:38 pm
The biological mother got the $5,000,000.

Comment by Tone Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 9:50 pm
Even money, implementing the whole list would make things worse, not better. Think more Aldermanic involvement ever fixed anything?

Worth serious discussion, but please let’s not just declare that any new process is justified simply because we all agree the status quo is unacceptable. Had enough of that laziness.

Comment by walker Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 10:48 pm
Short sighted and silly.

Cmdr. Evans is black. We’ve all become way too quick to turn police brutality into a racial issue. A black cop can be just as bad as a white cop, and vice versa.

Don’t shoot people in the back. Brilliant. That’s fairly self evident. That said, every situation is different. If someone with a gun has just seriously injured or killed someone and is fleeing, still armed, still a danger to the public, the cops’ hands shouldn’t be tied. A hypothetical: If the terrorists in California were fleeing–and they were–should the cops hold their fire?

Of course cops who file false reports should be prosecuted. The means already exist to do that. This is a political question, not a policy or legal one. If the SA gives lying cops a pass, then work to get a new SA.

Engage with FOP? They can’t be serious about that one. FOP gives no ground willingly when it comes to disciplinary protocol. Change the protocol, sure, but forget about doing it with FOP blessing. It’s gonna be a fight.

A special prosecutor in all police shootings? That’s a direct response to Alvarez and her sorry history. We need a different prosecutor, sure. If we had a better one, we wouldn’t need a special one. We should be careful about changes in policy/procedure in response to individual shortcomings.

I am bewildered by Point 5. I don’t see how it has much to do with police brutality.

Put anyone you want on the Blue Ribbon Task Force. These sorts of things rarely make any difference, anyway.

Comment by The Teflon Rahm Wednesday, Dec 9, 15 @ 11:03 pm
It’s sad that #1 even has to be said. And I don’t think #7 necessarily helps anything. The issue of those who are angry is with the cops in general. They don’t care what color they are.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 8:08 am
I wonder if this list was prompted by the following outburst from the caucus leader:

“Holy underwear! We have to protect our phoney baloney jobs! We must do something about this immediately! Immediately! Immediately! Harrumph! Harrumph! Harrumph!”

Comment by 35/Shields Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 8:39 am
Glaring omission is any mention of IPRA which is the City agency which is supposed to bring the disciplinary charges in the first place. “Reforming” what happens later down the road in the process doesn’t do any good if no action is brought in the first place.

Comment by Cold Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 8:50 am
You need a black mayor.

Comment by Herery Hyde Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 8:53 am
Have the CPD turn in their Assault Weapons. Give them a revolver and one bullet for their shirt pocket - Barney Fife style.

Comment by Beaner Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 8:57 am
Anyone from the “White Caucas”????

Crickets chirping, pins dropping!!

Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 8:58 am
Fairly ineffective unless one adds another item:

8) The community is called upon to abandon its “No Snitch” rule and cooperate with police authorities investigating violent crimes.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 9:06 am
white caucus is very very sadly quiet

Comment by austinman Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 9:12 am
Part of the problem is that most Chicagoans and suburbanites don’t understand the conditions many CPD officers work in. Years ago I asked a friend in Chicago government to give me a tour of “bad” neighborhoods. He agreed, but only during daytime and not the “really bad” neighborhoods. i am a Chicago native. What I saw was out of Dickens. You don’t get it until you see it with your own eyes. And I suspect it’s a lot worse now.

Is a change in police tactics and police disciplinary proceedings needed? Yes.

But can politicians protecting their sinecures, elites who have no concept of what the police are dealing with and taxpayers who cannot afford the required extra training and increased police headcount bring about meaningful change? I am skeptical.

Comment by Cook County Commoner Thursday, Dec 10, 15 @ 9:26 am