HEADS IN CITY COUNCIL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COMPETING PLANS FOR POLICE
OVERSIGHT ARE COMING TO A HEAD
IN CHICAGO.
YESTERDAY AT LONG-LAST MAYOR
LORI LIGHTFOOT INTRODUCED HER
PLAN FOR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF
THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO
THE CITY COUNCIL.
ACTIVISTS SAY IT IS A WATERED
DOWN VERSION OF THEIR PLAN AND
THAT IS CALLED EMPOWERING
COMMUNITIES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OR
ECPS AND THAT PLAN WILL ALSO GO
IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL NEXT
MONTH.
AND JOINING US ARE TARER
ABOUZEID, STAFF ATTORNEY FOR
CARE CHICAGO AND LEGAL COUNSEL
TO ACEH ALLIANCE AGAINST RACISM.
>> AND DESMON YANCY, SPOKELESS
PERSON NOT THE GRASSROOTS
ALLIANCE FOR POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY OR GAPA.
WE INVITED MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT
AND DAVID BROWN THEY DECLINED
BUT WE WILL HEAR FROM CHRIS
TALIAFERRO.
WE DO THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING
HERE, GENTLEMEN AND AT THE TOP
RUNDOWN WHAT THE PROPOSALS ARE.
FIRST WITH MAYOR LORI
LIGHTFOOT'S PLAN IT CREATES AN
ELECTED BOARD THOUGHT COULD
REVIEW BUT NOT VETO C.P.D.
POLICY AND RECOMMEND APPLICANTS
BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE THE FINAL
SAY ON HIRING AND FIRING AND
WOULD RECOMMEND A BUDGET
PROPOSAL.
THE EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES FOR
PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN WOULD GIVE
THE BOARD FINAL SAY ON POLICY
DISTRIBUTES BETWEEN C.P.D. AND
ADMINISTRATIONS AND CREATE A
BINDING REFERENDUM IN 2022 THAT
IF APPROVED BY CHICAGOANS WOULD
GIVE AN ELECTED BOARD THE POWER
TO HIRE AND FIRE THE POLICE
SUPERINTENDENT.
SO TARER ABOUZEID, YOU'VE CALLED
THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL WATERED
DOWN VERSION OF YOUR PROPOSAL.
WHERE DO YOU BELIEVE THE MAYOR'S
PROPOSAL FALLS SHORT?
>> IT FALLS SHORT IN MANY
PLACES.
I THINK WHAT SHE HAS ESSENTIALLY
DONE IS COPY AND PASTE SOME
PORTIONS OF OUR PROPOSAL AND
THEN GO ON TO REMOVE ANY REAL
AUTHORITY OR POWER AND CALL IT
HER OWN.
I'M NOT SURE WHY IT TOOK SEVEN
MONTHS.
I WANT TO CORRECT SOMETHING THAT
YOU SAID HER PROPOSAL DOES NOT
CREATE THIS ELECTED BOARD.
THE ELECTED BOARD IS NOMINATED
BY DISTRICT COUNCIL EXCEPT SHE
DOES NOT CREATE A FORMAT TO HAVE
THESE DISTRICT COUNCIL
ELECTIONS.
THE BOARD WILL END UP BEING
SELECTED BY HER AND THE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE UNTIL SOME KIND
OF ELECTION IS DECIDED ON IN THE
FUTURE.
SHE DOES NOT SETUP AN ELECTION.
SHE ALSO TAKES AWAY ANY POWER TO
HIRE AND FIRE FOR CAUSE THE
C.O.P.A. CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR.
AND SHE TAKES AWAY THE POWER TO
BE ABLE TO DECIDE ON POLICY.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN
NAMED AS ESSENTIAL BY MOST
RESEARCHERS INTO POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY WITHOUT POWER
OVER POLICY THE COMMISSION DOES
THAT.
>> WITH HER PROPOSAL THERE IS A
ROUNDABOUT WAY SAYING SHE WOULD
HAVE THE FINAL SAY OVER THIS
BOARD.
AND THEN HAVE IT BE FULLY
ELECTED AT SOME FUTURE DATE TO
BE DETERMINED.
DESMON YANCY, YOUR PROPOSAL THAT
YOU'VE JOINTLY AGREED ON IT
WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO ENACT
POLICY OR COME UP WITH POLICY
FOR C.P.D.
FOR INSTANCE, SAY THE C.P.D. HAD
TO ENACT A FOOT PURSUIT POLICY.
HOW WOULD THIS PROCESS WORK?
>> THE PROCESS WOULD WORK WHERE
WITH THE COMMISSION HAVING
IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR THE
POLICY, THE COMMISSION WOULD BE
STAFFED WITH EXPERTS WITH PEOPLE
WHO UNDERSTAND THIS SORT OF
WORK.
THEY COME UP WITH A POLICY WORK
WITH THE CHICAGO POLICE
DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE A POLICY
THAT IS SAFE FOR ALL PEOPLE
INVOLVED AND GO THROUGH A
PROCESS THAT ULTIMATELY, UNLESS
THE COMMISSION AGREES THIS IS
THE POLICY THE CITY DESERVES IS
GETS PASSED.
WHAT TARER ABOUZEID SAID, IT'S
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
MAYOR'S PROPOSAL DOES, IT ISN'T
CLEAR OF THE INTENTION TO CREATE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THROUGH
THE ELECTIONS.
TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE PASSED
WHERE SHE PICKS FIVE OF THE
SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION,
AND THEN THE COMMISSION DECIDES
ON THE PROCESS FOR THE DISTRICT
COUNCIL ELECTIONS, THE
DISINDUSTRIES COUNCIL ELECTIONS
CANNOT TAKE PLACE WITHOUT ACTION
IN SPRINGFIELD.
SO THE WEIGHT ON SPRINGFIELD TO
PASS LEGISLATION IT SEEMS
DISINJINIOUS TO HAVE THE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE A PASSING OF
THE BALL.
TARER ABOUZEID IS THERE A FAIR
CRITICISM THAT THE FINAL
SEVENMEMBERS IS MADE UP OF FOLKS
WITHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT
BACKGROUNDS AND WALKING IN THE
SHOES OF A POLICE OFFICER WHEN
COMING UP WITH POLICY THAT
IMPACTS PUBLIC SAFETY AND
POLICING?
>> NO, I DON'T THINK THAT IS A
FAIR CRITICISM.
I THINK THE COMMISSION SHOULD BE
MADE UP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WHEN YOU WANT SOMEONE TO OVERSEE
WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT DOES YOU
ARE NOT HIRING THOSE SAME PEOPLE
TO POLICE THEMSELVES.
WHAT WE WANT IS ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND WHO SHOULD YOU BE
ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU?
YOU SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE
PEOPLE OF THE CITY.
AND SO THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT
POLICING LAW ENFORCEMENT, WELL,
AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE
TRIED THAT FOR DECADES AND WE
KNOW IT DOES NOT WORK.
>> AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT
THE POLICE BOARD IS NOT MADE UP
WITH FOLKS THAT HAVE LAW
ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUNDS OVER THE
YEARS SOME HAVE.
BUT MOST OF THEM AS I SEE IT
HAVE NOT.
LET'S HEAR FROM ALDERMAN CHRIS
TALIAFERRO, THE CHAIR OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON THAT
NOTION OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU DO NEED SOMEONE
TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE
ACTIONS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THE ACTIONS OF OUR POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
THAT WILL ALWAYS REST SOLELY
WITH THE MAYOR AS THE CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OF THE CITY.
AND SO GIVEN THAT
RESPONSIBILITY, GIVEN THOSE
OBLIGATIONS, TO THE RESIDENTS OF
THE CITY, I THINK IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT THAT SHE BE ABLE TO
SELECT THE CANDIDATE FROM THE
LIST PROVIDED TO HER.
>> ALL RIGHT.
ALDERMAN IS MAKING THE ARGUMENT
FOR THE MAYOR RETAINING THE
POWER TO HIRE AND FIRE THE
POLICE SUPERINTENDENT WHAT ABOUT
THE BUCK STOPS WITH THE MAYOR
AND THE MAYOR THEN WEARS THE
HAT.
IF THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL
WITH VIOLENCE AND THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT?
>> WELL, I MEAN IT IS A SYSTEM
THAT HAS NOT WORKED YET.
THE MAYOR'S BEEN ACCOUNTABLE TO
THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE
POLICE CHIEF HAS BEEN
ACCOUNTABLE TO HER, AND PREVIOUS
MAYORS AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE
THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH OUR
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE DECADES LONG ISSUES WITH
THE WAYS OUR COMMUNITIES ARE
POLICED AND IT'S IMPORTANT WE DO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND THE
COMMUNITY HAVE SAY SO HOW WE'RE
POLICED AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT
WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE
MAYOR BEFORE SHE WAS MAYOR AND
HEAD OF THE POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY TASK FORCE WHERE
IN HER DOCUMENT SHE TALKED ABOUT
THE CREATION OF A CIVILIAN
OVERSIGHT BODY.
AND THAT BODY SHOULD BE CREATED
WITH THE COMMUNITY INPUT.
>> THIS WAS THE TASK FORCE SHE
CHAIRED THAT THE FORMER MAYOR
RAHM EMANUEL PUT HER IN CHARGE
OF.
GO AHEAD.
>> AND THE COMMUNITY SHOULD
DECIDE THOSE POWERS.
THE ORDINANCE SHE PUT FORTH DOES
NOT HAVE THE COMMUNITY VOICE IN
IT HAS NOT BEEN VETTED BY THE
COMMUNITY IF SHE HAD SHE WOULD
HAVE A DIFFERENT ORDINANCE IN
FRONT OF US.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IN ORDER FOR
THE TRANSFORMATION TO HAPPEN
THAT WE NEED THAT THE RESIDENTS
OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO USE THEIR
VOICE AND HER ORDINANCE DOES NOT
PROVIDE FOR THAT.
>> TARER ABOUZEID YOU WOULD PUT
A REFERENDUM TO VOTERS TO JUST
MAKE THEM WEIGH-IN ON THIS
QUESTION A BINDING REFERENDUM
SHOULD THE COMMISSION HAVE THE
POWER TO HIRE AND FIRE THE
SUPERINTENDENT.
WHY DO THAT INSTEAD OF BAKE IT
INTO YOUR PROPOSAL?
>> BECAUSE DEMOCRACY.
WE'VE HEARD FROM MULTIPLE PEOPLE
AND THERE IS A GENUINE GOOD
FAITH SPLIT ON WHETHER PEOPLE
WANT THE COMMISSION TO PICK THE
SUPERINTENDENT OR THE MAYOR.
NOW, WE WANT THE PEOPLE OF
CHICAGO TO DECIDE AND THAT IS
HOW IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE ANY
POWER THE MAYOR HAS ANY POWER
THE COMMISSION HAS COMES FROM
THE PEOPLE.
WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS THAT
THE MAYOR KEEPS SAYING SHE WEARS
THE JACKET BUT THE TRUTH IS IF
THE VOTERS OF CHICAGO DECIDE
THAT SHE SHOULD NOT BE HIRING
THE SUPERINTENDENT, THEN THE
PEOPLE OF CHICAGO WILL NOT
PUNISH HER FOR WHAT THE
SUPERINTENDENT DOES.
THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO ARE NOT
STUPID.
THEY WILL NOT TAKE AWAY HER
ABILITY TO HIRE AND FIRE A
SUPERINTENDENT AND THEN BLAME
HER FOR WHAT THAT SUPERINTENDENT
DOES.
>> LEAVE THAT ASPECT UP TO THE
VOTERS.
LET'S BE CLEAR, THIS OVERSIGHT
PANEL WOULD OVERSEE THE POLICE
BOARD AND ALSO OVERSEE C.O.P.A.,
THE CIVILIAN OFFICE OF POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY, 22 DISTRICTS
HERE IN THIS BOARD.
YOU WOULD HAVE THREE PEOPLE
ELECTED IN EACH DISTRICT THAT IS
66 PEOPLE TO PICK THE FINAL
SEVEN PEOPLE.
ARE YOU WORRIED HERE ABOUT
LAYERS AND LAYERS OF
BUREAUCRACY?
DESMON YANCY THAT IS FOR YOU?
>> SURE, I DON'T THINK SO.
DEMOCRACY CAN BE MESSY SOMETIMES
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
CHALLENGES THAT EXIST IN
REFORMING THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND LET'S BE CLEAR, THE REASON
WE WANT TO REFORM THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT IS BECAUSE PUBLIC
SAFETY IS IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY
AND COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T FEEL
SAFE WHEN THE POLICE COME TO
THEIR DOOR ARE NOT GOING TO TALK
TO POLICE WHEN THEY ARE VICTIMS
OF CRIME.
HAVING THE COMMUNITY VOICE AND
HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR
PEOPLE WITHIN THE DISTRICT TO
ENGAGE OUTSIDE OF THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT INITIALLY TO HAVE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW THE
COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE POLICED
WHAT ISSUES THEY HAVE IN THEIR
COMMUNITY TO BE ADDRESSED AND
THEN TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS
WHERE THE TRUST NEEDS TO COME
FROM.
FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS AND
BEYOND, THAT TRUST HASN'T COME
FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY.
MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES FELT
MORE TERRORIZED AND OCCUPIED BY
THE POLICE THAN SERVED AND
PROTECTED BY IT.
>> AS WE MENTIONED THIS IS GOING
TO COME TO A HEAD NEXT MONTH AS
THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN, CHRIS TALIAFERRO, SAID
THAT THESE BILLS WILL HAVE A
HEARING.