Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Chicago FOP wants halt to new use of force policy

Posted in:

Illinois

* Sun-Times yesterday…

Chicago Police Department leaders on Thursday unveiled a timeline for training officers on the department’s newly redesigned use-of-force policy.

By Oct. 15, when the new policy goes into effect, every sworn member of the department will have completed a four-hour “base course that introduces and familiarizes officers with the policy,” First Deputy Supt. Kevin Navarro said.

In 2018, officers will be required to take an eight-hour “scenario-based instruction that will give officers hands-on experience with the guidelines that they learned in the new policies,” he added.

The cornerstone of the policy, Navarro said, “is the sanctity of life.” […]

Aside from use of force, courses will focus on officers’ and civilians’ mental health, civil and human rights, pursuits of criminal suspects and court testimony, among other topics, according to the department.

* And today, the Sun-Times reports that the police union wants the Illinois Labor Relations Board to stop the change to the new use-of-force policy…

The FOP, which represents rank-and-file CPD officers, says implementing the new policy violates its contract because the changes were not negotiated with the union. […]

In a news release, the police union says the changes to the use-of-force policy “would affect, at a minimum, disciplinary investigations, witness statements required to be made by officers, and just cause issues.”

The FOP says its petition, filed Friday, also argues that the city’s implementation of the new policy “is part of a pattern of making unilateral changes” without negotiating them and demands the city cease and desist implementing any changes.

“We oppose this policy and the manner in which the City has attempted to impose it, and so we are immediately filing charges with the state Labor Board. The City is not negotiating in good faith, and, frankly, we are tired of it,” FOP President Kevin Graham said in a statement.

The full press release is here.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 11:27 am

Comments

There has to be a line beyond which key policies to protect the overall organization and its mission, are not subject to collective bargaining. This seems to have crossed that line.

Comment by walker Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 11:33 am
Yeah, I’m with Walker. I’m all for negotiating most areas of work conditions, but the use of force standard is not a negotiation.

Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 11:35 am
Another example of insanely broad scope of collective bargaining in this state.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 11:40 am
FOP is the biggest problem with policing in Chicago. They are a cancer on the community. They prevent (not discourage, but actually prevent) accountability of their officers and encourage a cover-up culture. So this response is, sadly, not remotely surprising.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 11:40 am
Pretty statndard that terms of working conditions are negotiated. Not to get into what it’s, but; what if new use of force policy requires officers to wait until shot at before using firearm in self defense? Use of Force policies effect employment (discipline, termination, etc). State statute and case law apply to the illegal use of force (i.e. Prosecution for use of force). Likely there are still some police departments that have policies that allow deadly force in all forcible felonies, even 30?years after Supreme Court ruled in Garner v Tennessee.

Negotiation allows the people impacted in an employment decision to have input in the policies.

Comment by Anon retired Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 11:48 am
If the labor relations board rules in favor of the city it would not suprise me to see them try to get a law passed making this a negotiated process. The fire fighters union has been very good at getting the general assembly to pass laws takeing away management rights

Comment by Jim 'e' Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 11:54 am
Walker is correct. This policy is outside of the negotiated agreement and falls under the management right of the CPD.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 12:05 pm
Good grief police union. Get some self awareness of how your stand on this will be perceived by the general public whom you “serve and protect”.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 12:18 pm
The FOP is an utterly moronic entity. They could and should advocate for their members, like any normal such group.

What they’ve done instead is positioned themselves as in favor of any action any police officer takes, ever. They lose all credibility every time they defend an obviously unjustified shooting.

They’ve become zealous extremists who have no interest in engaging with or understanding the needs of the people police are supposed to be serving.

Comment by PJ Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 12:21 pm
When I read that there was going to be such a comprehensive implementation of the new use of force policy, I was hopeful.

This really has a chance to change some of the culture problems in one of the most notorious city police department in the country.

Shame on FOP. What a bunch of morally-confused crybabies.

Comment by cdog Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 12:29 pm
Chicago Cynic…so true. And they don’t care how any of it looks.

Comment by NoGifts Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 12:30 pm
Chicago Cynic and Walker nail it.

This “tail wagging the dog” attempt should get national press.

This is a doubling-down on what’s wrong with federally-watched CPD.

Comment by cdog Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 1:18 pm
This is where unions give themselves a bad name. Management should still have a right to manage. You shouldn’t have to play “mother may I” with a union to do everything.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Sep 22, 17 @ 1:32 pm