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The Task Force and the DOJ
Rahm Emanuel withheld the Laquon Mc- Donald video until he was re-elected, and only when the heat was too much to handle did he have the Corporation Counsel release the vid- eo to the public. The streets erupted. Emanuel was losing control of the city. He held a press conference and called for the Justice Depart- ment (DOJ) to come to Chicago and investi- gate the CPD. When this did not stem the pro-
tests, Emanuel formed an independent Task Force in hopes that the protests would stop.
What is the difference between the Task Force
and the DOJ? We have two entities allegedly doing
the same job, albeit the DOJ will do a more thor-
ough investigation. Both will recommend changes
that Chicago will have to implement; the real differ- ence between the two is that Emanuel cannot control the DOJ or the outcome of its investigation. Not knowing which direction the DOJ will go makes it hard to put a spin on the outcome.
The Task Force held public hearings, and the people vented about the mistreatment and lack of respect by the CPD. The Task Force tailored their solutions, not to fix the problems, but to pacify the protestors. Meanwhile the DOJ still is poring over thousands of reports, looking for a pattern and practice of civil rights violations, and doing ride-alongs with officers to see what they deal with day- to-day. The DOJ is looking into the way the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) investigates complaint register (CR) numbers, and how long it takes for a com- plaint to snake through their archaic investigation pro- cess. This process takes years to complete and is unfair to civilians and officers, alike.
The DOJ has met twice with the FOP field reps, and once with members, who discussed with the Depart- ment’s problems from both the beat patrol car perspec- tive and the detectives’ point of view. They discussed the RAPS, the lack of manpower, the lack of supervisors and the shortage of equipment. They discussed the lack of training and that, when officers do receive training, it consists of watching a streaming video during roll call. They discussed how the agreement between the Mayor and the ACLU that now controls street stops has affect- ed morale, and how the Department as a whole has been in a downward spiral since the appointment of Jody Weis as Superintendent. They were told IPRA investigating po- lice-involved shootings and custody deaths even though these investigations are a violation of State law. The law clearly states that investigators must be certified by the Il- linois Police Training Standards Board. IPRA investigators are not certified and not sworn.
We relayed the same information that the FOP and its members gave the DOJ. The DOJ is still hard at work try- ing to document the Department’s problems, how they materialized and what potential solutions they might have. The Task Force, on the other hand, completed its in- vestigation rather quickly, and, before revealing them to
12 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2016
the people of Chicago, reported its findings to the Mayor so he had an opportunity to spin the report.
Spin it he did. Looking sternly into the camera, he shook his finger and said, “There is institutional racism within the ranks of the CPD. How we correct it will be how we heal.”
The Task Force then went on WTTW to reveal its find- ings: The CPD has no sanctity of life when it comes to people of color. Racism, the feeling that there is a lack of
respect for people of color, the inability to discipline bad officers, the complaint by affidavit and the rights afforded the officers by the Collective Bar- gaining Agreement are at the root of the problem. Name one officer who goes to work and says, “Tonight I am going to kill a person of color.” Not one person on the Task Force has any idea what of- ficers go through every tour. Not one member of the Task Force has seen what one human being is capable of doing to another. The Task Force revealed not one shred of proof that could support its findings, other than what
Task Force was told at public forums.
We are not ashamed of our contract, generated as a
result of decades of abuse practices by the city: officers receiving unfair discipline tactics, being overworked and underpaid, being transferred on a whim and having their D.O.G. or watch changed every time the weekends or days came around – erasing their earned comp time, off the books every year – just to name a few. Every protection we have earned came through collective bargaining, the decision of arbitrators or legislation.
In 2004 we were able to negotiate and legislate the CR by affidavit because of the huge volume of false com- plaints that clogged the ability of the Office of Profession- al Standards (OPS) to investigate. The affidavit states if you get caught falsifying a complaint against an officer, you can be charged criminally; in 12 years, not one per- son has been charged. The hope was that by freeing up man-hours at OPS, the investigations would be resolved faster. That hope did not materialize, and today most IPRA investigations take three to five years to complete.
Emanuel announced in light of the Task Force report, he is doubling down. He is going to create an Early Warn- ing System to identify officers with numerous complaints against them. Here is an idea: Don’t create a new system; use the system that has been in place for the past 15 years. If Emanuel had asked any officer at the numerous roll calls he attended, he would have learned we have an Ear- ly Intervention Plan and a Personal Concerns Program in place.
The problems we are experiencing are systemic na- tionwide, and not exclusive to Chicago, Gary, New York or Ferguson. The problem is the inability to receive a qual- ity education, the inability to get a good paying job, the lack of job programs and no access to mental health treat- ment. The people have no other alternatives and no hope. The south and west sides look like war-torn Iraq: vacant buildings, empty lots, garbage and decay. People are mad
GREG BELLA
RECORDING
Secretary