Civil Liberties & Police Accountability Committee

Overview

The Civil Liberties & Police Accountability Committee meets monthly to discuss civil liberties issues that are both local and national in scope—including police accountability in Chicago. The Committee has issued public policy positions on issues such as supporting Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform (HB 303 SA1, June 21, 2017), recommending changes to the Chicago Police Department’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (February 2017), and more.

 

Co-Chairs: Carl Royal & David Melton

Monthly Meetings: The Committee meets on the second Friday of each month at 12:00 PM (CST). Click here for more information about the Committee.

Current Projects

Police Accountability

• Research and advocacy around an ordinance to create a Community Commission for Public Safety; supporting the end of the Chicago Police Department’s using of investigative alerts; and following implementation of CPD Federal Consent Decree provisions

Chicago’s Vehicle and Traffic Policies

• Research and advocacy around Chicago’s reform of traffic offense fees and fines; advocating for reform of Chicago vehicle impoundment policies

Federal Civil Rights Policy

• Advocating against proposed amendments to Civil Rights Act regarding harassment and the proposed amendment to the federal Arbitration Act on appeals from arbitration rulings

End of Life Self-Determination for Terminally Ill Patients

• Working with a coalition of advocates focuses on ensuring end-of-life self-determination for terminally ill patients in Illinois

Publications & Positions

• Position Statement – Opposition to Proposed Civil Asset Forfeiture Ordinance (November 2021)
• Analysis – Proposed “No Knock” Warrant Reform Policies for Chicago Police (October 2021)
• Position Statement – Principles for Regulating Facial Recognition (and Other Biometric) Technology (April 2021)
• Coalition for Police Contracts Accountability (CPCA) – Series on Police Accountability and Union Contracts (December 2019)
  • No. 1: Barriers to Identifying Police Misconduct
  • No. 2: Conditions that Make Lying Easy
  • No. 3: Requirements that Evidence of Misconduct be Ignored or Destroyed
  • No. 4: Barriers to Investigating Police Misconduct
• Support for HB 303 SA1 (Guzzardi/Harmon) on Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform (June 2017)
• Recommended Changes to Chicago Police Department’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (February 2017)
• Communication about Mayor’s Proposed Police Accountability Ordinance (September 2016)
• Board Recommendations on Policy Accountability (August 2016)
• Chicago Council of Lawyers Testimony for the Police Accountability Task Force (July 2016)
• Recommendations for the Police Accountability Task Force (May 2016)
• Position Statement on Stingray Technology (April 2016)