June 8, 2016 Mayor Emanuel Chairman Ariel Reboyras Chairman Willie 8. Cochran And other Aldermen of The Chicago City Council City Hall 121 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, iL 60602 Coalition to Follow Up on the Police Accountability Task Force Dear Mayor Emanuel, Chairmen Reboyras, Cochran and other City Council Members, We, the organizations and individuals listed below, are part of a growing coalition forming to ensure that all the recommendations of the Police Accountability Task Force (“PATF") are effectively implemented and that the possibility of real change, as contemplated in the report, is realized, ‘As we all are aware, we have an historic opportunity to bring change to our entire law enforcement infrastructure and to create a real and respectful relationship between the police and the communities they are duty bound to serve and protect. The important steps in building that relationship have to be premised on trust, respect, and transparency. That is why we write to urge you, ‘as our elected officials, to embrace those fundamer tal precepts in the next phase of implementing the recommendations of the Police Accountability Task Force. Ina letter to the editor released on May 13,2016, Mayor Emanuel indicated that he is ‘embracing three concepts recommended by the PATF, namely the creation of a civilian oversight board, a public safety inspector general ("IG") and the creation of a new entity to replace the Independent Police Review Authority ("IPRA"). The Mayor further stated that he plans to introduce an ordinance embodying those three policy changes at the June 22, 2016 City Council session. On Friday, June 3, 2016, IPRA released video, audio and police reports related to a range of approximately 100 serious cases such as police-invo ved shootings and deaths in custody. That long- awaited release was done in response to a February 2016 PATF recommendation on a video release Policy for the City. The release of this volume of materials and what we expect will be an on-going adherence to this policy is a very significant step towards transparency and accountability and will hopefully aid in restoring the legitimacy of the Police Department. While the recent release of the video and related materials and the Mayor's announcement regarding replacing IPRA, setting up a citizen's overs ght board and a public safety IG are important steps, much more needs to be done. First, the publi: should be invited into the discussion about all elements of the planned ordinance. There must be meaningful engagement with all the communities that will be deeply affected by the success or failure of these efforts, especially those on the South and ‘West sides of the City. In addition, in this City, we are fortunate to have a significant number of subject, matter experts on these and other topics regarding local policing. It is critically important to engage thatPage |2 expertise, as many of these experts already participated in the PATF and/or are members of the legal, academic and reform communities here in Chicago. No ordinance will have any legitimacy without a public, transparent process that includes the community and subject matter experts. This is particularly true of the civilian oversight board. All of the signatories below stand ready to assist in this process. Please call on us, We are not saying that the efforts to reforr the system should be slowed down, but proposals that are made and enacted should be the result of an open and collaborative process. At a minimum, the types of community input and public hearings contemplated in the Task Force report should be a prerequisite for such proposals. On a broader level, and looking beyond the three recommendations that are contemplated for the June 22” ordinance, itis essential that the City develop and announce a strategic plan for prioritizing, further defining and effectively implementing large segments of the Task Force recommendations, especially those involving comrr unity involvement and effective internal changes at the Police Department. The Task Force Report made clear that its recommendations were intended to operate in conjunction with one another and that any real plan to affect change would have to include the full range of the recommendations, rather than cherry-picking a few items, Here again, relevant and important expertise exists here in Chicago to assist n this effort and there are national leaders here and elsewhere ready to partner with Chicago in this work. There is no need for this work to be cloistered in City Hall when people all over this City can and should be involved in this important community conversation, We are asking all of our elected leaders to seize the opportunity that this moment presents, do the right thing, and propose serious retorms only atter the relevant communities have had real opportunities to express their views on and participate in the crafting of those reform measures. Failure to involve those communities in the formulation of zhe reforms will virtually guarantee that they lack the necessary credibility and vetting to succeed. Many people and organizations in the City stand ready to assist in making these efforts successful. But we Tust have a process that not only permits that to occur, but that actively encourages it. ‘We would be happy to meet with you and discuss in greater detail our concerns. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Ra, Nakeng 6 karen Sheley Director, Police Practices Project, ACLU of illinoisHoy Vedoowc tl E. Hoy McConnell, I Executive Director 7 WVLA C fly Molen ch Cane Leite David Melton Chicago Council of Lawyers/Appleseed Fund for Justice Tracy Siska Executive Director Chicago Justice Project Shari Runner President and CEO Chicago Urban League ow Gh Jesus “Chuy’ Garcia Commissioner Cook County Board of Commissioners Qk Qyor Bonnie Allen Paul Strauss Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Page 13‘Amy Campanelli Public Defender of Cook County (wide Victor Dickson Former Member Police Accountability Task Force a See Lori €. Lightfoot Former Chair Police Accountability Task Force ‘Sybil Madison-Boyd Former Member Police Accountability Task Force Lisa Schneider Fabes Former Project Manager Police Accountability Task Force ea John Bouman President Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law Page |4