TO YOU.
>> THANKS.
CHICAGO HAS A CRITICAL SHORTAGE
WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC
BATHROOMS ACCORDING TO AN
INVESTIGATION BY THE "CHICAGO
TRIBUNE" THAT FOUND CITY
GOVERNMENT FAILED TO PROVIDE THE
PUBLIC WITH EASY ACCESS TO FREE
TOILETS WITH SCANT INFORMATION
AVAILABLE ABOUT THOSE THAT DO
EXIST.
THE STORY FOUND NOT ONLY A
PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE BUT A PUBLIC
SAFETY ONE WAS WELL.
AND JOINING US IS ITS AUTHOR,
EMILY HOERNER A REPORTER WITH
THE "CHICAGO TRIBUNE"'S
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM.
EMILY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
HOW MANY AVAILABLE RESTROOMS
PUBLICLY ARE THERE IN THE CITY
AND WHERE DO THEY TEND TO BE
LOCATED?
>> SO I FILED A BUNCH OF
INFORMATION REQUESTS TO COMPILE
ALL OF THE BARRIER FREE
RESTROOMS.
PUBLIC RESTROOMS THAT DO NOT
REQUIRE YOU TO GO THROUGH
SECURITY OR PAY FOR ENTRANCE, BE
A CUSTOMER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT
AND AND WE FOUND THERE WERE
FEWER THAN 500 OF THESE
BARRIER-FREE, EASY ACCESS PUBLIC
RESTROOMS IN THE CITY.
AND THEY ARE LOCATED ALL
THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE DID FIND THAT THERE WERE
SLOTS OF THE CITY THAT HAD FEW
OR NONE OF THESE FACILITIES.
SO IT JUST VARIES FROM
NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> EMILY, HOW DOES THIS LACK OF
BARRIER FREE RESTROOMS IMPACT
CHICAGO RESIDENTS?
NOT JUST ON A PUBLIC HEALTH
LEVEL BUT PUBLIC SAFETY?
>> I TALKED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE UNHOUSED IN THE CITY WHO
STRUGGLE DAILY, REGULARLY TO
FIND A PLACE TO USE THE RESTROOM
FACILITY.
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE NEED TO DO EVERYDAY TIMES
MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
AND IT CAN BE REALLY DIFFICULT
FOR FOLKS YOU KNOW.
THEY STIGMA IT IS DEHUMANIZING
TO HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM
OUTDOORS IN ALLEYS TO BE SEEN
DOING THIS SO IT PUTS PEOPLE IN
A DIFFICULT SITUATION IF THEY
DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO AND IT
CAN LEAD TO PUBLIC HEALTH
CONCERNS AS WELL PASSAGE AND
SPREAD OF HUMAN BAFT AND IT CAN
BE DANGEROUS.
>> AND IT CAN BE BAD FOR
SOMEBODY'S CRIMINAL RECORD
BECAUSE AS YOU FOUND, THE
CHICAGO POLICE DO ISSUE A
CITATION AND ARREST FOLKS FOR
PUBLIC URINATION OR DEAF
INDICATION TELL US WHAT YOU
FOUND WITH THOSE STATISTICS?
>> SINCE 2016 THERE HAVE BEEN
29,000 TICKETS ISSUED FOR PUBLIC
URINATION, AND DEAFFY INDICATION
THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN ISSUED
ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES.
THERE IS A SMALLER AMOUNT OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED
INCLUDING THERE WERE ABOUT 50
PEOPLE SINCE 2014 WHO HAVE BEEN
ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS
FOR PUBLIC URINATION AND
DEFICATION.
>> AND WASHINGTON D.C. AND SAN
FRANCISCO TRIED PILOTS WITH
PUBLIC RESTROOMS HAS THE CITY OF
CHICAGO INDICATED THEY HAVE
POLICY THOUGHTS IN MIND TO
ADDRESS THE ISSUE?
>> THE CITY TOLD ME THEY
CURRENTLY HAVE NO EFFORTS
UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO
PUBLIC RESTROOMS AT THIS TIME.
>> AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
OTHER CITIES DOING AND ARE THEY
WORKING?
>> YES.
SO DC IS A VERY INTERESTING
PLACE.
THEY ARE TRYING TWO PROGRAMS.
ONE IS TO PLACE PERMANENT
TOILETS THAT ARE INDESTRUCTIBLE
OPEN 24/7.
AND BUSINESSES CAN OPT-IN TO
BECOME A PUBLIC RESTROOM AND THE
GOVERNMENT WILL INCENTIVIZE THEM
THEY CAN LEAVE THE PROGRAM AT
ANY TIME.
SO THOSE ARE TWO INTERESTING
THINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO.
EMPLOYEES ARE POSTED AT PUBLIC
RESTROOMS SO THEY HAVE SOMEBODY
MONITORING THE RESTROOMS THAT DO
EXIST.
AND PEOPLE THAT IN SAN FRANCISCO
SAID THAT HELPED THEIR PUBLIC
RESTROOM ISSUES.
>> AND YOU MENTIONED STAT
STARBUCKS TRIED ALLOWING THAT
AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF HIT OR
MISS IN TERMS OF HOW THAT
IMPACTS BUSINESS.
I WANT TO THROW UP A MAP WHERE
THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS ARE.
PUBLIC PARKS ONE THING THE
COLORS REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT
PUBLIC BUILDING.
I LEARNED IN YOUR ARTICLE THAT
POLICE STATIONS THOSE ARE PUBLIC
RESTROOMS THAT ANYONE CAN GO IN
AND USE, CORRECT?
>> YES.
AND THEY ARE SOME OF THE FEW
RESTROOMS THAT ARE OPEN 24 HOURS
A DAY OVER THE NIGHTTIME AND ALL
YEAR LONG IN THE WINTER.
>> AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T USE
THEM?
>> YEAH.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ARE
UNAWARE THAT THAT IS AN OPTION.
>> AND YOU SAID THAT THIS IS
PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT THE
CITY ISN'T REALLY ADVERTISING
WHERE YOU CAN GO.
>> RIGHT.
THERE IS NOT A TON OF
INFORMATION.
THERE ISN'T ONE AGENCY THAT
OVERSEES ALL THE PUBLIC
RESTROOMS IN THE CITY OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO PART OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO
WITH THIS REPORTING WAS BUILD A
TOOL FOR PEOPLE TO USE AS WELL
TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE SOME OF THE
RESTROOMS.
>> CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE