SR1770 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1770 LRB099 21506 GRL 47777 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Following the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting video in November of 2015, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed the Police Accountability Task Force to complete a report on the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, It has been determined by the Police Accountability Task Force that the Chicago Police Department has been plagued by officers who contribute to the systematic racism that foster oppressive policing tactics and have thoroughly failed to maintain the trust of both African-American and Hispanic communities; and

WHEREAS, High profile cases such as the Laquan McDonald shooting have brought light to a culture of cover-ups, evidence manipulation, falsified reports, and a complete lack of accountability within the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, Decades worth of community complaints involving stops without justification, verbal and physical abuse, unnecessary arrests, and detainment without legal counsel have rarely been recognized as legitimate by the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, Both Hispanic and African-American communities have disproportionately become the victims of the institutional racism carried out by members of the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, In a city where African-Americans make up roughly one-third of Chicago's population, they were subjects in 72% of investigative street stops that did not lead to an arrest in 2014; and

WHEREAS, African-Americans were also subjects in 46% of traffic stops in 2013 and justifiably feel targeted by those sworn to protect and serve their respective communities; and

WHEREAS, Settlement costs associated with unnecessary detainment, injury caused by use of excessive force, or even wrongful death are incurred by Chicago's taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, Though trust cannot be built overnight, working toward strong police and community relations is essential in helping to combat violent crime in the City of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, While many Chicago Police Department officers do a commendable job with the intention of lawfully ensuring public safety and building relationships with citizens in the communities they work, the prevalence of predatory policing steeped in bigotry in poor communities of color diminishes their work; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we denounce the systematic racism of the Chicago Police Department outlined in the recent Police Accountability Task Force report and the negative effects this racism has in community-police relations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, because it is the sworn duty of the Chicago Police Department to police fairly and not allow prejudices or animosities to influence on-duty decisions, we encourage the Department to be transparent and held accountable for their actions.