CHICAGO – Last week, Chicago City Council Members voted to pass legislation that will create a “Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.” The seven-member board, nominated by community members and confirmed by the mayor, will provide community oversight to the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Police Board, and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. This is a significant victory for Empowering Communities for Public Safety—a coalition of community organizers in Chicago, who collectively have worked on this issue for decades. The Policing Project was privileged to work with the organizers, lending drafting and strategic assistance.
In 2017, in the aftermath of the video release of the murder of Chicago teenager Laquan McDonald, the Chicago Police Department came under severe scrutiny. Several investigations into the patterns and practices of the department revealed, among other things, a significant lack of accountability and transparency to Chicago residents. The federal government conducted an investigation, and the Illinois Attorney General eventually signed on to a consent decree with the City to reform the Department.
But most of the real work of oversight was done by the community. Chicago city leadership at the time called upon community members to create the roadmap for a for community oversight board for Chicago’s public safety structure. This ordinance is the outgrowth.
The ordinance, which creates both a commission and local district councils, establishes a path for democratic policing and front-end accountability in Chicago. Community members now will have a significant voice in creating police policies and contributing to improved and equitable public safety outcomes for all Chicagoans.
Advice regarding the form of the ordinance was provided by a team at the Policing Project, including Barry Friedman and Maria Ponomarenko, the Policing Project Founders, and Farhang Heydari, the Executive Director. At the time that the ordinance initially was drafted, the Policing Project’s Advocacy Director, Mecole Jordan-McBride, was serving as the coordinator for the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability. GAPA was one of the integral groups to developing the ordinance. It was through this work that Jordan-McBride ultimately came to the Policing Project.
The ordinance that passed gives substantial authority to the Community Commission. It can set policy for CPD, and weigh in on who is selected as Superintendent, as well as the Police Board and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. It can conduct investigations into where there are issues of concern, and what policy should be in response.
One of the most novel and important aspects of the Commission is its mission to foster community engagement and community voice in how Chicago is policed. Central to this task are the District Councils—three elected officials in each police district who will work with and advise the Commission about community concerns. Representatives from the District Councils also form a nominating committee for the selection of the Commission itself.
One possible vital role of the District Councils and the Commission is assuring the sustainability of the Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative. CNPI is a joint product of the Policing Project, grassroots activists and community members, the Mayor’s Office, and CPD. Supported heavily by philanthropic organizations in Chicago, CNPI seeks to change fundamentally the way CPD polices. Officers are geo-located in beats and given time off of responding to radio calls to develop relationships with the community and work with community members in addressing public safety concerns. Community Ambassadors in each District—including those who in the past have had little interest in working with CPD—engage regularly with District command staff to set the tone of how CPD polices. In its 4th year, CNPI now is up and running at least partially in 10 Chicago Districts. For now, the Policing Project’s Chicago Team, led by Jordan-McBride, is organizing and working with the Community Ambassadors and CPD to co-produce public safety outcomes. The hope is the Commission and District Councils eventually will take up these responsibilities.
The Policing Project at NYU School of Law partners with communities and police to promote public safety through transparency, equity, and democratic engagement. For more information on our work, visit www.PolicingProject.org.