>> A DIVIDED CITY COUNCIL VOTED
TO GIVE THE CHICAGO POLICE BOARD
THE POWER TO REMOVE PEOPLE FROM
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S GANG
DATABASE.
SOME ALDERPEOPLE ARE CRITICAL
BECAUSE THE VOTE COMES AS THE
RULES GOVERNING THE
CONTROVERSIAL SYSTEM HAVE YET TO
BE TIMELIZED.
HEATHER CHERONE JOINS US WITH
MORE.
GIVE US A SENSE WHAT THIS VOTE
MEANS FOR REINSTATING THE GANG
DATABASE?
>> WELL, IT ADDRESSES ONE OF THE
BIGGEST COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT THAT
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW
WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE GANG
DATABASE OR TO OBJECT TO THAT
DESIGNATION AND TO HAVE YOUR
NAME REMOVED.
AND THAT WAS A CENTRAL COMPLAINT
OUTLINED NOT ONLY BY FORMER
INSPECTOR GENERAL FERGUSON BUT
ALSO A LAWSUIT CLASS ACTION
LAWSUIT THAT PROMPTED THE CITY
TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
NOW, WE KNOW THAT THAT FELL
DISPROPORTIONATELY ON BLACK AND
LATINO CHICAGOANS.
95% OF THE 135,000 CHICAGOANS
LISTED IN THAT DATABASE IN 2019
WERE BLACK OR LATINO.
>> OK.
ALDERMAN LOPEZ SPOKE ON WHY HE
VOTED NO.
HERE HE IS.
>> SUPPORTING A REFINED AND
USEFUL GANG DATABASE IS
SOMETHING THAT I PERSONALLY
BELIEVE IN.
BUT I HAVE AN ISSUE WHAT WE ARE
DOING HERE TODAY WE ARE PUTTING
THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE AND
SAYING WE ARE GOING TO COME UP
WITH AN APPEALS PROCESS BEFORE
WE KNOW HOW YOU GET INVOLVED IN
THE PROCESS TO BEGIN WITH.
>> WHY IS THIS A SEPARATE
ORDINANCE AND NOT PART OF THE
LARGER CONVERSATION ON THE RULES
GOVERNING THE DATABASE?
>> THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT
HAVE DIRECT AUTHORITY TO SET
POLICY FOR THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS THE PURVIEW OF
SUPERINTENDENT DAVID BROWN AND
HE QUIETLY RELEASED NEW RULES
FOR WHAT THEY ARE CALLING THE
CRIMINAL INFORMATION ENTERPRISE
SYSTEM AND THAT WAS RELEASED
FRIDAY.
SO IT LAYS OUT THE RULES BUT
THOSE RULES WILL NOT BE FINAL
UNTIL NOVEMBER 29, WHEN MEMBERS
OF THE PUBLIC HAVE TO WEIGH-IN
ON THOSE RULES.
SO ALDERMAN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE SAID DO
BOTH AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT
IS WHY YOU SAW 18 ALDERMEN VOTE
AGAINST IT BECAUSE THEY SAID WE
DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE GET LISTED
IN THE DATABASE IN THE FIRST
PLACE IT'S TOO SOON TO TALK
ABOUT HOW TO HELP THEM GET OUT
OF THE DATABASE IF A MISTAKE WAS
MADE.
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS?
>> WHAT THE CURRENT POLICY LAYS
OUT WHICH IS OF COURSE SUBJECT
TO CHANGE, SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE
TO GO TO EITHER POLICE
HEADQUARTERS, A CITY CLERK'S
OFFICE OR A POLICE DISTRICT
STATION AROUND THE CITY AND
INQUIRE WHETHER THEY ARE LISTED
IN THE DATABASE IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE
A SUBJECT OF CONTROVERSY GOING
FORWARD BECAUSE THERE IS NO RULE
REQUIRING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
TO NOTIFY ANY CHICAGOAN THAT
THEY HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE
DATABASE.
ONCE THEY FIND OUT IF THEY ARE
IN THE DATABASE THEY CAN THEN
ASK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO
REMOVE THEM AND IF THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT REFUSES, THEY CAN NOW
ASK THE CHICAGO POLICE BOARD
UNDER THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS
APPROVED TODAY BY THE CITY
COUNCIL.
>> AND OF COURSE AS YOU
MENTIONED THE LAST GANG DATABASE
WAS RHINE WITH ABUSE AND --
RIPE WITH ABUSE AND TARGETED
BLACK AND LATINO CHICAGOANS HOW
ARE COUNCILMEMBERS DOING TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE NEW SYSTEM DOESN'T
COMMIT MORE HARM?
>> WELL, WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW
THE NEW SYSTEM WILL WORK.
AND I ASKED MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT
THAT AFTER TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL
MEETING WHETHER SHE WAS
CONFIDENT THE NEW SYSTEM HAD
ENOUGH CHECKS AND BALANCES IN
PLACE TO BE USEFUL FOR THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT WHILE
PROTECTING CHICAGOANS' RIGHTS
AND SHE SAYS SHE WAS CONFIDENT
AND THAT IF CHANGES NEEDED TO BE
MADE THEY WOULD MAKE THEM.
HOWEVER THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
WILL BE ALDERMEN AND US WILL BE
KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON BECAUSE
SO MANY CHICAGOANS SAID THEY HAD
TROUBLE FINDING JOBS OR RENTING
AN APARTMENT OR SOME WERE
DEPORTED BY FEDERAL IMMIGRATION
AGENTS SO THIS IS A SERIOUS
ISSUE FOR MANY CHICAGOANS.
>> OF COURSE.
THANK YOU AND WE WILL SEE YOU
AGAIN LATER IN THE PROGRAM FOR
OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS.