SR1858 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1858 LRB099 21802 MST 48555 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 systemic racism that fosters oppressive policing tactics and has 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 shed light upon a culture of cover-ups, evidence manipulation, falsified reports, and a complete lack of accountability within the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, Decades 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 been the victims of the institutional racism within the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, African-Americans make up roughly one-third of Chicago's population, and yet they were the subjects in 72% of investigative street stops that did not lead to arrests in 2014; and

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

WHEREAS, Chicago taxpayers bear the burden of settlement costs associated with unnecessary detainment, injuries due to the use of excessive force, and wrongful death; and

WHEREAS, In December 2015, the United States Department of Justice began a pattern and practice investigation into: 1) whether the Chicago Police Department routinely violates the civil rights of citizens; 2) the Department's use of force policies and practices; 3) the Department's systems of accountability; and 4) whether racial or ethnic disparities exist in these areas; 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 commendably perform their duties with the intention of lawfully ensuring public safety and building relationships with the citizens in the communities in which they live and work, the prevalence of predatory policing steeped in bigotry in poor communities of color diminishes those efforts; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Chicago Police Department to fully cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice investigation and to begin implementing recommendations outlined in the recent Police Accountability Task Force report; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, because it is the sworn duty of the Chicago Police Department to police fairly and not to allow prejudices or animosities to influence on-duty decisions, we encourage the Department to respect and uphold the civil rights of all citizens, to be transparent, and to improve the Department's systems of accountability.