Police Accountability Consent Decree Hearings
Chicago Council of Lawyers offered testimony at the police accountability consent decree hearings this week. A representative of the Civil Liberties Committee gave remarks that went beyond the comments submitted in writing in August of this year.
The testimony began with the acknowledgment that the consent decree is a critical step toward significantly improving oversight of the police department, in which prior large scale reform efforts have fallen short. However, the CCL views the consent decree as setting a floor, and not precluding many other necessary aspects of reform, including adoption of a community oversight board, changes in the FOP contract, and full implementation of a diversion program for people with mental health or substance abuse issues.
The CCL testimony emphasized the importance of entering a consent decree and the benefits to a variety of stakeholders. Those who will benefit from the decree include:
- People harmed by the existing police oversight system that was not working and failed to hold police officers accountable enough when they abused the broad powers given them;
- A silent majority of dedicated police officers who perform a difficult and stressful job every day without abusing their powers and who understand and appreciate the reforms the decree represents;
- The Attorney General of Illinois and the City of Chicago who can better pursue reform with a structure that facilitates it;
- The majority of the people in Chicago and in the nation who are dedicated to the principle of equal justice under the law for the powerless as well as the powerful and who need assurance that our courts will promote that principle.
A variety of interested parties offered testimony on Wednesday, when the Chicago Council of Lawyers spoke at the hearing, including about half-a-dozen members of the FOP who testified in opposition to the consent decree. The remaining testimony was offered in support of a consent decree, with a minority of speakers urging a wider-reaching consent decree offering more aggressive oversight.