This is a reconvened meeting from Friday, July 16, addressing proposed police reform ordinances

The council is now in a 15-20 min recess period and will return between 5:20-5:30pm

On Friday, alderman Lopez was irked with the idea of today’s meeting: “that we’re going to have a discussion on probably the most significant civilian oversight in the city’s history at 5 in the afternoon, the day before we’re supposed to pass it, is just ridiculous.” Alas…

The council is discussing tomorrow’s vote for an amendment to add a civilian oversight board for the Chicago PD. It would be called the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability”

The board would include 7 individuals, and would address issues of police oversight. Alderman Harry Osterman says that Los Angeles has followed the same structure, and that it’s “a more balanced approach” for the city

The Sun Times reported that Mayor Lightfoot and police reform advocates reached an agreement yesterday, about civilian oversight of the Chicago PD. The board continues to discuss (and feel big emotions!) about the proposed ordinance: https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2021/7/19/22583681/chicago-police-contract-talks-reform-civilian-oversight-commission-mayor-no-confidence-vote

Civilian oversight was a recommendation by the Task Force on Police Accountability that Lightfoot co-chaired, following the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting video

Former CPD president John Catanzara, speaking publicly 10 mins ago: “there’s no need to add a 7th layer of oversight” to CPD. The city is the problem – those “squeaky wheels that made this city into anarchy last summer.”

If the ordinance passes, Catanzara said that the city is basically “rolling out welcome mats to criminals.”

Alderman Patrick Thompson says that the CPD actually wants oversight for themselves. And that we can all agree on “the same goal” - to prevent another murder like Laquan McDonald’s

But Thompson doesn’t like the “uncertainty” around how much power the community commission would have around, say, changing municipal codes, or hiring + firing police. And how much authority the city council might lose.

(Someone clarifies: the 7-member commission would not be able to change the municipal code, but can create policy, which the city council can be involved in)

Details about the ordinance, via city’s lawyer Jeff Levine: it proposes 2 things (er, bodies) - the 7-member community commission for police safety/accountability AND a group of district councils w/ 3 members repping each police district

The district councils will: hold monthly meetings to discuss policing issues, work w/ CPD members to create restorative justice + other programs, write recommendations, etc.

The councils could also recommend/review candidates for some CPD positions (chief admin of COPA, superintendents, police board members), and can elect COPA chiefs

The ordinance would increase the Chicago Police Dept budget by .22% starting next year. That increase would be used to hire an administrative executive director + other staff

Alderwoman Mitts said that the version of the ordinance on the table has been in the making for 4-5 years, with community meetings across the city. She said that it might not be perfect, but passing it tomorrow is better than sitting on it for another 5 years…

Alderman Sophia King said that in community meetings, the #1 request from residents is to bring more officers into their neighborhoods, as protectors

Alderman Cardenas said that passing the safety/accountability ordinance would not help us to reimagine policing, but would add on more bureaucracy and cost - which will increase over time

Also Alderman Cardenas, on demonizing Chicago police: “not every office is a bad officer, just like not every alderman is a bad alderman”

Alderman Napolitano will clearly vote no tomorrow: he says, “going after the police is unjust.” Passing the ordinance will keep potential officers from applying to the force b/c “they’ll feel like they’re on the chopping block for everything”

Napolitano continues to defend CPD. He points to addressing the “crime war” on the street, before increasing oversight on policing work

Alderman Lopez: “The delegitimization of law enforcement has to come to an end”. Alderman Ervin: “those who have spent their youth on the hood of a police car might see this differently.”

The council passed the ordinance 12-8

This concludes the meeting for the Chicago City Council Committee on Public Safety, at 7:15pm