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.