Mayor Laurie Lightfoot, Grassroots Coalition announces declaration to form Civil Police Oversight Commission – CBS Chicago

Chicago (CBS) – Mayor Laurie Lightfoot and supporters of police reform announced Monday that they have agreed to set up a new civilian oversight agency for the Chicago Police Department and set up a City Council vote this week after lengthy debates.

“After a week of fruitful negotiations, we are pleased to announce that the parties have agreed on a proposed order to replace the Chicago Police Department’s civilian oversight office, the Chicago Police Department’s civil liability office and the Police Department. will bring the balance to civilian control, ”Lightfoot and members of the Community Security Coalition for Public Security said in a joint statement on Monday.

READ MORE: Bartlett’s new police dog, Maverick, will be sworn in on Tuesday

The announcement of the deal was made after Friday in the City Council’s Public Security Committee postponed voting on competitive bids from the mayor and a coalition of active civil society groups as they announced that the deal had been implemented. Then, the city’s mayor, allergists and activists put the final points on the deal over the weekend.

The order should establish a new seven-member community commission on public safety and accountability. In each of the city’s 22 police districts, three-member councils were set up to advise and nominate members of the commission.

The seven-member commission has the power to set policies for the CPD, COPA and the Chicago Police Department.

However, the mayor could veto the policies set by the commission, which could be overturned by only two-thirds of the votes of the city council.

The commission may also have the authority to hire the head of the Police Reporting Office if approved by the City Council; and to cast a vote of no confidence in a police superintendent or a member of the police board, requiring two-thirds of the votes of the commission.

If the commission approved a vote of no confidence in the chief or member of the police department, the city council would vote on whether to recommend the mayor to remove them – a recommendation that requires one-third of the vote. However, the final decision will still depend on the mayor, who only has 14 days to vote to explain his decision in writing.

In the future, when there is a vacancy for a police chief, the commission will conduct a nationwide search of candidates and select a final list of three candidates for mayor, which is now in the hands of the police. Board.

Although the commission does not have direct authority to remove the head of the Civic Police Reporting Office, members can also vote in favor of the head of the COPA administration, resulting in a vote by the City Council to remove the administrative administration by two – a third vote.

READ MORE: Lemont School Board to Vote on Destroying ‘Hindus’ as Mascots

If the civilian oversight plan is approved, an ad hoc commission will be set up by next year, before the establishment of a permanent council in 2023.

The city council’s rules committee nominated 14 people for the seven commissioner positions, and then the mayor appointed seven people to the temporary commission – at least two from the North, South, and West.

In 2023, in the same mayoral and city council election, voters elected three members for each of the 22 county councils in the 22 districts of the Chicago Police Department. These district council members then nominated candidates to the Public Security Commission, and the mayor appointed members of the commission from among the candidates, subject to approval by the city council.

The commission is also authorized:

• Learn from the Chicago community and police about public relations, CPD policy, and the police reporting system;
• Provide feedback to the CPD, COPA, the Chicago Police Council, and the Public Security Department of the Chicago Office of the Inspector General based on their actions;
• Publish public reports on the police;
• Assess activities and goals for the Police Chief, COPA Chief, and Police Department President, including annual reviews;
• Recommend to the Public Safety Division of the Office of the Inspector General that inspections or specific investigations be conducted “on specific topics or issues, including emergencies that are necessary in the Commission’s decision to maintain public confidence in the Department and criminal justice practices;”
• Recommendations for changes to the annual CPD budget proposal; and
• Identify and recommend to the City Council ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the use of public safety resources.

The decree also allows the commission to set up an informal advisory council to advise the commission on issues affecting the migrant community, particularly undocumented migrants.

The City Council’s Public Security Committee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday to consider the deal. If approved by the committee, the city’s full council could vote on it Wednesday morning.

The announcement of the agreement came just days after aldermen voted on competitive proposals for civilian oversight from the mayor and activists of early police reform.

Shoe and base organizations have been at odds for months over how much power a civilian oversight commission should have, and both have submitted competition orders.

However, it became clear last month that both sides were struggling to get the necessary votes to accept their proposals when the mayor’s allies in the Public Security Committee banned voting on the original coalition plan, even after the sponsors lost a provision that would likely have formed an elected council with the power to recruit and dismiss police superintendents, the CPD budget, and negotiations with police unions. Meanwhile, Lightfoot withdrew its offer from last month’s review.

MORE NEWS: A 63-year-old woman was shot and killed by a driver in Lincolnwood

More than a year ago, apparently the city council approved an earlier version of the proposal to establish an elected civilian oversight board, but an agreement has been raised in a debate over who should have the final say on political disputes..