FROM Dr. ARWADY IN A FEW
MINUTES.
>> THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT
MADE PROGRESS IN THE FEDERAL
CONSENT DECREE COMPLIANCE BUT IT
STILL HAS MORE WORK TO DO
ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM
THE INDEPENDENT MONITORING TEAM
THAT IS OVERSEEING THE
DEPARTMENT'S CONSENT DECREE
IMPLEMENTATION.
THE REPORT COVERS THE PERIOD
BETWEEN MARCH AND DECEMBER OF
LAST YEAR.
IT FOUND THAT WHILE C.P.D. HIT
ONLY 19 OF 43 REPORTING
DEADLINES, THE DEPARTMENT DID
REACH SOME LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE
WITH 154 OF THE 315 CONSENT
DECREE REQUIREMENTS.
WTTW NEWS REPORTERS HEATHER
CHERONE AND MATT MASTERSON HAVE
BEEN FOLLOWING THIS AND THEY
JOIN US NOW WITH MORE.
>> WELCOME BOTH OF YOU.
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE NEW
REPORT, MATT, REMIND US HOW THE
FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE CAME TO
BE?
>> SURE.
THE CONSENT DECREE ITSELF HAS
BEEN IN PLACE FOR TWO YEARS NOW
DATING BACK TO MARCH OF 2019.
IT WAS PROMPTED BY THE 2014
MURDER OF LAQUAN McDONALD BY
CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER JASON VAN
DYKE.
AND THE SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION
BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE AMID THE FALLOUT OF THE
VIDEO THAT CAME OUT.
AND THAT LED TO A 2017 LAWSUIT
AGAINST THE CITY WHICH LEAD TO
THE CONSENT DECREE BEING
IMPLEMENTED.
>> THE NEW REPORT IS THE THIRD
OF 10 REPORTS TO COME FROM
MAGGIE HICKEY, THE INDEPENDENT
MONITOR AND THIS WILL HAPPEN
OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
LET'S HEAR WHAT MAYOR LORI
LIGHTFOOT HAD TO SAY?
>> EVEN THROUGH A PANDEMIC, THAT
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MADE UP A
LOT OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS FROM
THE PREVIOUS TWO REPORTS AND
THEN FOCUSED LIKE A LASER BEAM
ON MAKING SURE THAT THEY GOT A
LOT OF THINGS RIGHT, HIGHER
PERCENTAGE OF MEETING DEADLINE
AND IMPORTANTLY MAKING REAL
SUBSTANTIVE PROGRESS.
>> THE MAYOR IS SAYING THAT THE
REPORT GIVES C.P.D. A GOOD GRADE
FOR COMPLIANCE.
WHAT ARE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS
SAYING?
>> WELL, GOOD IS RELATIVE HERE.
BECAUSE AT THE LAST REPORT THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT BASICALLY WAS
MISSING 80% OF DEADLINES.
NOW IT'S CLOSER TO 40 OR 50%
DEPENDING ON HOW YOU CUT IT.
ATTORNEY GENERAL KWAME RAOUL
WHOSE OFFICE IS INVOLVED IN
OVERSEEING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE CONSENT DECREE BASICALLY
SAID TODAY IT WASN'T GOOD
ENOUGH.
IT MIGHT BE PROGRESS BUT THERE
WAS STILL REAL PROBLEMS WITH HOW
THE CITY AND THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT WAS WORKING TO
IMPLEMENT THE REFORMS.
ALSO A.C.L.U. WAS NOT IMPRESSED
EITHER.
NOOB THE MAYOR BARKED BACK AT
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AFTER THAT
STATEMENT.
ANOTHER POINT OF CRITICISM, HAS
BEEN THE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO
EXPAND ENGAGEMENT WITH
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE
CITY.
LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WHAT THE MONITOR FOUND IS
THAT WHEN THE CITY REACHES OUT
TO THOSE COMMUNITIES IT IS VERY
LATE IN THE PROCESS.
OFTEN WHEN POLICIES ARE NEARLY
FINALIZED.
INSTEAD WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS
SITTING DOWN, BEING OPEN TO
CHANGE, TO LISTEN TO THE
COMMUNITIES AND THEIR
EXPERIENCES AND TO ACCOMMODATE
THEIR NEEDS.
>> SO MATT, THE A.C.L.U. IS
SAYING THEY ARE NOT IMPRESSED
WITH C.P.D.'S EFFORT AT ENGAGING
COMMUNITIES EVEN THOUGH THE
REPORT SAYS C.P.D. HAS UPPED ITS
GAME THERE.
WHAT DO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
EFFORTS LOOK LIKE?
>> THE DEPARTMENT DID MORE IN
THE LATEST PERIOD TO REACH OUT
TO THE COUPS THROUGH PUBLIC
SURVEYS ON SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT
POLICIES AND COMMUNITY WORKING
GROUPS AS WELL.
BUT THERE WAS MIXED SUCCESS ON
THOSE.
AND AS WE JUST HEARD SOME FELT
THEIR COMMENTS WERE COMING TOO
LATE IN THE PROCESS OR THEY
WEREN'T BEING HEARD AT ALL.
AS THESE POLICY DECISIONS WERE
BEING MADE.
AND WHILE THE DEPARTMENT DID
RECEIVE MARKS FOR AATTEMPTING
THESE THINGS AND MAKING THE
OUTREACH EFFORTS THE REPORT
FOUND THAT C.P.D. IS NOT DOING
ENOUGH AND STRUGGLING TO CONNECT
WITH THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT
ARE MOST IMPACTED BY POLICING.
>> HEATHER AS WE MENTIONED AT
THE TOP THIS REPORT SHOWS THAT
THE DEPARTMENT IS ONLY MEETING
HALF OF ITS DEADLINES TO COMPLY
WITH THIS CONSENT DECREE.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?
>> WELL, WE'RE ALSO WAITING FOR
THE INDEPENDENT MONITORING TEAM
TO RELEASE ITS REPORT OF HOW THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT HANDLED THE
SUMMER PROTESTS AFTER THE DEATH
OF GEORGE FLOYD IN POLICE
CUSTODY.
WE HAVE SEEN A REPORT FROM THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL THAT WAS
HIGHLY CRITICAL HOW THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT HANDLED THOSE
PROTESTS AND HOW THEY RESPONDED
TO THE UNREST.
IT WILL BE A REAL SORT OF TEST
OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN GOING
FORWARD TO SEE WHAT THE
INDEPENDENT MONITORING TEAM
WHICH CAN ORDER CHANGES AS
RECOMMEND CHANGES LIKE FROM THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL SAYS ABOUT HOW
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID.
>> THAT IG REPORT WAS INDEED,
SKAGGING.
THANK YOU TO MATT AND HEGHTDER
FOR JOINING US RIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AND YOU CAN READ THE FULL
STORY ON OUR WEBSITE AT