[in person] 17th Police District Council - Sauganash/Albany Park/Irving Park
Chicago Police District Councils
Saturday, April 20, 2024
1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. CDT
5101 N Kimball Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60625 Chicago, IL 60625 (Directions)
Albany Park Community Center
This is an in-person assignment and will include an additional hour of pay. PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK the meeting details on the day of your assignment, as dates and locations sometimes change.
Pre-Research Resources
- City Bureau: “Can the Neighbors We Elect to Police District Councils Redefine Public Safety?”
- City Bureau” “Chicago’s New Police District Councils, 4 Months In”
- Find My Beat and District: Interactive map of police district boundaries
- Chicago Reader/Block Club Chicago: Information about the candidates who ran for this council in the municipal elections
- The TRiiBE: “ECPS coalition wins a wide majority of Chicago’s new Police District Council seats”
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
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follow along with this thread or join me for updates on the Albany/Irving Parks & Sauganash neighborhoods
12:07 PM Apr 20, 2024 CDT
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In attendance are about 10 people including family of council members
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Grace Pettino brings up the police killing of Dexter Reed.
“I’m fearful for people I love moving through the city,” she said. “We have a right to know the names of the officers in our district & their histories.”
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Both he and Grace complained about the council’s cancelation of its meeting right after the killing, and their late start today.
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He then opens up for questions.
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Thurman says she can reach out to COPA and they can provide public records under the Freedom of Information Act — but data about ongoing investigations won’t be available.
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Thurman: Everyone who works at COPA is a civilian, which sets it apart from its predecessor, IPRA. The Office of the Inspector General also reviews random samples of its investigations.
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Thurman: No. COPA makes recommendations — the final disciplinary actions are signed off on by police
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Thurman: COPA respects officers’ union rights throughout investigations. Union reps are allowed with officers throughout the process.
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Other attendees laugh & agree.
“That’s outside of my area,” Thurman said.
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He said the most concerning is the robbery victimization, which has increased by %79.5 this year. Overall violent crime is trending down.
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He says she has upheld the Jim Crow-era stereotype that Black people are lazy. He said she has also used a derogatory remark against Native American people. He says she refuses accountability
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He says he is fully committed to a restorative justice practice with his co-commissioners.
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Rochford responds to Tamez’ statement by saying she initiated the mediation process.
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The next regular meeting will be on May 16 at 7 p.m. at Volta School.
Follow @CHIdocumenters for more local meeting coverage!!
Attachments
Agency Information
Chicago Police District Councils
Each of the 22 District Councils is made up of three people elected by residents of the police district in regular municipal elections every four years, though anyone can participate in District Council work, and the more people who participate, the more effective the District Councils can be. The first District Council elections occurred in February 2023. Just as Chicagoans vote for a mayor and a local ward Alderperson, they also vote for up to three people to serve on the District Council.
The District Councils have several key roles:
- Building stronger connections between the police and the community at the district level, where the community is a true partner in making the neighborhood safer. They can work with the police to address problems and set priorities.
- Collaborating in the development and implementation of community policing initiatives.
- Holding monthly public meetings, where residents can work on local initiatives rooted in community concerns and priorities. They can also raise and work to address concerns about policing in the district, and increase accountability.
- Working with the community to get input on police department policies and practices. Working to develop and expand restorative justice and similar programs in the police district.
- Ensuring that the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability gets input from the community, so that the Commission’s work will be based on what people in neighborhoods across the city are concerned about.
- Nominating members of the Community Commission. Anyone who serves on the Community Commission must first have the support of elected District Council members.
(Source: Municipal Code of Chicago, 2-80-070(a) and (e))
For a map of police districts, visit https://www.chicagocityscape.com/maps/index.php#/?places_type=chipolicedistrict.
Documents
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