The below statement can be attributed to Kathy Hunt Muse, Special Litigation Counsel, Police Practices Project, ACLU of Illinois.
“Today is a historic day in Chicago. The approval of a consent decree by a federal judge to guide reform of the Chicago Police Department is the catalyst for change we have been waiting for.
The system of policing in Chicago will not be immediately reformed. Today officially begins a years-long process of measured improvements and reforms that will require dedication, attention, and the continued input of all residents of Chicago to succeed.
The City must immediately take steps to implement this decree. The work needed to build trust between the police and the neighborhoods where that trust is absent cannot wait for another election.
We look forward to seeing the final version of the consent decree. But, as Judge Dow wrote, “Let us begin.”
