The below statement can be attributed to Karen Sheley, Director, Police Practices Project, ACLU of Illinois. 

“The filing late on Thursday by the City of Chicago regarding so-called progress on reforming the Chicago Police Department is frustrating and insulting to our clients, which are neighborhood organizations fighting for CPD to respect every community across the city.  

To read the City’s progress report, one might think that our clients and other community groups have been meaningful partners in creating critical policies aimed at reforming excesses long part of the practices of CPD. Far from having meaningful input, these community groups’ recommendations – and the hundreds of hours of work they’ve spent developing them – have been ignored. Now, to compound the insult, the City is suggesting that we have agreed with their half-hearted approach. 

Consider just one example of this. In its filing, the City suggests that it worked with community-based groups to revise a training bulletin for foot pursuits, dangerous encounters that put everyone at risk. During repeated sessions with CPD and City representatives, our clients demanded that a new foot pursuit training bulletin incorporate best practices from other cities and national organizations. Most of all, we wanted clear training around when – and if – a foot pursuit should be initiated or continued. Our pleas for a clear prohibition on certain pursuits were rejected, but now the City claims to the Court that we meaningfully contributed to its revisions.  

Our clients feel that the disingenuous approach in Thursday’s filing raises serious concerns about the City’s commitment to community outreach.”