A coalition of Police District Council (PDC) members from across the city are calling on 14th PDC member David Orlikoff to resign, citing a pattern of troubling behavior. In December, nineteen council members representing thirteen of the city’s twenty-two police districts signed a letter asking Orlikoff to resign by the end of 2024. When he did not, several called for his resignation during public comment at a January 4 meeting of PDC 14. On Friday, the group made the letter public in a press release.
Orlikoff, who did not respond to the Weekly’s requests for comment, was not present at the January 4 meeting. According to the press release, he did not respond to the letter.
The district councilors join a growing chorus of progressive organizers who are calling for Orlikoff’s resignation. United Neighbors of the 35th Ward, the Free2Move Coalition, and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) have also urged him to step down.
Frank Chapman, the executive director of CAARPR’s national organization who was a leader in the push to establish Chicago’s district councils, said that the calls are not personal; they’re about maintaining unity within the movement for police accountability.
“My view of the movement is that unity is key,” Chapman said. “When you’re doing things that are creating disunity, and people are steady bringing it to your attention and yet you continue to do it, I don’t consider you to be respectful of the movement that you say that you’re in. We have disagreements with abolitionists and abolitionists have disagreements with us. We don’t disrespect each other as a result of that.”
Last summer, the Weekly reported on tensions in the 14th PDC, which represents parts of Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park. (Each of the city’s twenty-two police districts has a three-member council, which were first elected in 2023.) At the time, formal complaints had already been filed against Orlikoff for his behavior. In April, a PDC 14 meeting devolved into a shouting match between Orkiloff and members of the public. During the uproar, he attempted to grab Chairperson Chris Laurent’s gavel, and he kept arguing with attendees after the meeting. In September, Laurent introduced a measure at a citywide meeting of district council members calling on the CCPSA to formally censure Orlikoff. It needed thirty-two votes to pass, and failed by a single vote.
Orlikoff has shouted down and insulted other district councilors in meetings. During a phone call last year, he cursed at a Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) staffer. During another, he berated a staffer for Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) and cursed out the alderman.
After CCPSA president Anthony Driver texted him about his behavior last May, Orlikoff replied with an expletive-laden barrage that called Driver a “stooge” and accused him of inaction that led to the police killing of Dexter Reed.
“Councillor Orlikoff is a person who disrespected CCPSA team members, disrespected aldermen and their staff—all under the umbrella of ‘solidarity,’” Driver said. “I fully support the district council members who are calling for his resignation, and I believe he should have resigned yesterday, and I hope that he gets the support that he needs to figure out where all his misplaced aggression comes from.”
The district council members who signed the letter describe themselves as “a coalition of progressives, leftists, and abolitionists,” and are political allies of Orlikoff, who also considers himself a police abolitionist.
“Some of the undersigned have personally witnessed your use of aggressive language and charged tones in interactions with elected officials and public figures, at times justified through advocacy while other times unjustified based in reaction,” the letter reads. “However, it is a far greater concern when such language and demeanor are directed toward the very community members we are elected to serve.
“Your role on the District Council places you at the forefront of accountability and safety efforts,” the letter reads. “It is therefore critical that you reflect the values of restorative justice and community trust. By resigning, you can take an important step toward repairing the harm that has been caused and demonstrate your commitment to these principles.”
Jim Daley is the Weekly’s investigations editor.
