July 18
At its meeting, the Chicago Police Board heard public comments calling for justice for the family of Dexter Reed, twenty-six years old, who was killed by police in March after a traffic stop. “No one from the police district has come and apologized to me and my family on behalf of my son—as though he was [in] a crime syndicate or something, and that really hurt my heart,” said Nicole Banks, Reed’s mother, addressing CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling. In March, Judge Michael Mullen ruled that police officers facing misconduct cases can choose to have their cases brought before the Police Board or an arbitrator. Either option would require public hearings, however, and the police union opposes public arbitration. New information has also been added to the Dexter Reed case file in connection with why he was pulled over initially, and lawyers are urging the federal judge to throw out portions of the case, which was filed by Reed’s mother. The Chicago Police Board is made up of nine individuals appointed by the mayor. Among its roles are “deciding discipline cases involving police officers” and “nominating candidates for Superintendent of Police.”
July 22
At its meeting, the City Council Committee on Health and Human Relations received an update on Treatment Not Trauma, a proposed citywide mental health crisis response system. The update came from the Treatment Not Trauma working group charged by the mayor with implementing the system. The report touted the reopening of a mental health clinic in Roseland and doubling the number of alternate response teams among the city’s 2024 wins. It also reported an estimated funding gap of $44.6 million of the estimated $103.5 million needed for mental health programs over the next three years. Key objectives from the report include: expanding mental health clinical services, enhancing non-police crisis interventions, and educating communities about available mental health resources.
At a meeting of the Illinois Missing and Murdered Women Task Force, a public commenter raised the issue of misgendering and misrepresentation in reporting missing persons. Mandy Sark, founder of the Chicago Missing Persons Guild, suggested the task force contact the nonprofit Trevor Project for guidance. The Trevor Project supports suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ young people. A misidentification issue exists when a missing person’s actual gender identity and reported gender identity are different. The guild actively supports reforms in how local and state law enforcement handles missing-persons cases. By law the task force is charged with examining and reporting on several issues, including “the systemic causes behind violence that Chicago women and girls experience,” tracking data on such violence, the policies and institutions that affect violence against Chicago women and girls, ways to reduce the violence, and support for victims, their families, and communities.
July 23
At its meeting, the City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights heard community members and aid organizations call for an extension on a sixty-day policy that limits how long new migrants can remain in City shelters. After sixty days, migrants must return to the city intake center, or “landing zone,” and from there, they are eligible to return to shelters. City officials confirmed that migrants can return to be placed back into a shelter. Council members complained that many migrants remain on the streets after sixty days and can’t return to the landing zone because they don’t have transportation. Families are typically prioritized over single individuals. Some committee members blamed the continued presence of migrants living in tents for the problem.
July 25
Security in connection with the upcoming Democratic National Convention, Aug. 19-22 at the United Center, was a key topic at a meeting of the City Council Committee on Public Safety. The Committee received updates from city officials on the security plan. Security has become a more urgent issue after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The Secret Service, the Illinois National Guard, and Chicago police will be present for the convention. CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling said Chicago police officers have been trained on constitutional rights, including the freedom of speech and protection from unwarranted search and seizures. The City is currently in a legal battle with March on the DNC 2024 over permits to march near the convention site. The coalition represents “the rights and liberation of oppressed people and against the exploitation of workers,” according to its website. The organization expects up to 50,000 marchers and does not believe the routes proposed by the City can accommodate a protest march of that size.
August 3
Pretextual traffic stops was the topic at a meeting of the 14th Police District Council – Logan Square/Humboldt Park/Wicker Park. The council heard calls for the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) to push for a CPD policy change. District council member David Orlikoff shared data showing pretextual traffic stops have declined in most of the city after reaching a record high last year except in 14th and 25th districts (specifically Logan Square) where, he said, they increased. The Free2Move coalition collected 2,400 signatures on its petition to end the stops—enough to require CCPSA to schedule a public hearing about the topic. The hearing is scheduled for 6pm Tuesday, Aug. 27, location to be determined. Pretextual traffic stops are considered to be made for minor traffic violations as a pretext for police to look for evidence of serious crimes.
This information was collected and curated by the Weekly in large part using reporting from City Bureau’s Documenters at documenters.org.