Vol. 2, Issue 49: Chicago's Criminal Justice Playbook
At Issue: NAACP, Urban League Join Lawsuit
Two major civil rights organizations joined a landmark class action lawsuit last week, seeking federal court oversight of the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
The NAACP and the Chicago Urban League announced their participation in Campbell v. Chicago, a case filed on behalf of African American and Latino residents who have been or will be subjected to CPD’s policy and practice of using force in a racially discriminatory manner.
The addition of these two groups “puts more pressure on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to abandon a less stringent reform draft plan negotiated between the city and the Justice Department,” the Associated Press reported.
It also increases pressure on Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who has stated that she is considering filing a lawsuit to demand a federal consent decree.
“The Chicago Police Department’s systemic abuse of the Black community is the most prominent civil rights crisis facing our country,” said Karl A. Brinson, president of the Chicago Westside Branch of the NAACP. “The City of Chicago has failed to stop CPD officers from abusing our communities for more than a century. Our community is overdue for real justice. This litigation continues the NAACP’s legacy of fighting against racial violence and blatant injustice in all its forms.”
Shari Runner, president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, echoed these concerns: “Mayor Rahm Emanuel has abdicated his responsibility to fix what’s broken with the Chicago Police Department and has rejected federal court oversight, which is the one solution that has been proven to end police abuses in other cities across the country.
“The Chicago Urban League has joined in this historic litigation in order to hold Mayor Emanuel and CPD accountable to promises of ending police abuse.”
This development is significant as it unites established civil rights organizations with younger activist groups, such as Black Lives Matter, in the fight for police reform.
In a joint statement, the two organizations highlighted a growing list of public officials who have called on Emanuel to negotiate a consent decree with community involvement, including Attorney General Madigan, former U.S. Attorney Zach Fardon, former Justice Department Civil Rights Chief Vanita Gupta, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, County Commissioner Jesús "Chuy" García, the City Council’s Progressive Caucus, and Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson.
Meanwhile, efforts by the mayor’s office to find community leaders willing to back Emanuel’s approach have yielded little support.
The demand from community organizations for a direct role in overseeing police reform also underscores Emanuel’s failure to act on his promise from last year to establish a community safety oversight board, as recommended by his own Police Accountability Task Force.
OFFICER KELLY IS OFF THE STREET
Controversial Officer Patrick Kelly was placed on administrative duty earlier this year after The Chicago Tribune published an article detailing his “turbulent career” and a “mysterious shooting inside Kelly’s home more than seven years ago,” the Tribune reported last week.
Kelly has been found mentally unfit for duty twice, arrested two times, accused of beating a girlfriend, sued six times, and investigated more than two dozen times, according to the Tribune.
Recently, the City Council approved a $500,000 settlement for a woman who suffered a miscarriage after being tasered by Kelly.
The Independent Police Review Authority initially cleared Kelly in the 2010 shooting but reopened the investigation earlier this year. However, the case now appears to be stalled.
Despite these developments, Kelly retains his authorization to carry a gun and make arrests.
WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT
The family of Joshua Beal, an Indiana man who was shot and killed by police during a traffic altercation in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood last November, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
SUPPORT CENTER NEAR COUNTY JAIL
A “supportive release center” opened near Cook County Jail last week to provide overnight shelter and referrals to mental health and substance abuse services for newly released inmates who may otherwise have nowhere to go, The Chicago Tribune reports. The center is operated by Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, with Heartland Alliance Health providing long-term case management.
JOB TRAINING FOR FORMER INMATES
The Safer Foundation received a $4.5 million federal grant to provide job training for ex-offenders. Safer operates two work-release centers for the Illinois Department of Corrections, housing 550 inmates who are finishing their prison sentences, with approximately 80% employed in private-sector jobs.
COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT IN BLOOMINGTON
The City Council of Bloomington, in central Illinois, voted last week to create a Public Safety Community Relations Board in response to a request by the ACLU of Central Illinois and Black Lives Matter Bloomington-Normal. The board will review police department investigations of civilian complaints. The ACLU called it “an important first step in establishing police accountability.”
PAWAR BACKS CONSENT DECREE, CONTRACT REFORM
Alderman Ameya Pawar called on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to negotiate a consent decree with community groups and to publicly articulate his support for eliminating provisions in police contracts that enable the code of silence. Pawar, who is running for governor, made these comments while responding to reporters’ questions after unveiling proposals to reform a criminal justice system that he said is rooted in racism.