Joint Committee on Public Safety & Ethics City Council Meeting February 24, 2021
Resolution Calling for Subject-Matter Hearing(s) on CPD and the City's Response to Protests and Civil Unrest Following the Murder of George Floyd
WHEREAS, on May 25, 2020, a member of the Minneapolis Police Department murdered George Floyd by placing his knee on Mr. Floyd's neck for over eight minutes while Mr. Floyd was handcuffed and lying on the ground; and
WHEREAS, shortly after video of Mr. Floyd's murder became publicly available, protests and civil unrest occurred throughout Chicago and across the United States; and
WHEREAS, in June 2020, the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the federal Independent Monitoring Team (IMT) launched a joint inquiry into the City of Chicago's response to protests and civil unrest that occurred in late May and early June following Mr. Floyd's murder; and
WHEREAS, on February 18, 2021, OIG issued its Report on Chicago's Response lo George Floyd Protests and Unrest; and
WHEREAS, this Report was based on a fulsome review of the period between May 29 and June 7, 2020, which included over 70 interviews with representatives from the Chicago Police Department (CPD), other city departments, and external partner agencies, as well as an analysis of video footage and thousands of official reports and other documents; and
WHEREAS, the Report found that CPD was unprepared to deal with the volume of arrests—approximately 1,500—over the 10-day period that was analyzed. As a result, certain arrestees were held without sufficient justification, certain arrestees were charged with offenses either more or less serious that their actual conduct may have warranted, and the safety of both officers and arrestees was reduced; and
WHEREAS, the Report found that rank-and-file members were often confused about whether and when they were required to complete a Tactical Response Report following a use-of-force incident. Moreover, officers underreported uses in baton and manual strikes, which resulted in "an inadequate record of severe and potentially out-of-policy uses of force"; and
WHEREAS, the Report found that the accountability process became crippled due to widespread non-compliance with CPD's policy regarding body worn camera use, an inability to
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identify relevant reports and body worn camera footage, poor retention of mass arrest records, and reduced availability of members responsible for reviewing uses of force and conducting internal investigations; and
WHEREAS, the Report concluded that "CPD was under-prepared and ill-equipped, and thus critically disserved both its own front-line members and members of the public"; and
WHEREAS, the Report concluded that "at least in some quarters, chaos and confusion in the command staff ranks struck a serious blow to the morale of front-line [CPD] members who plainly felt failed by the Department"; and
WHEREAS, the Report concluded that "the events of May and June 2020 may have set CPD and the City back significantly in their long-running, deeply challenged effort to foster trust with members of the community"; and
WHEREAS, later this year, the IMT will release its own investigation report regarding the protests and civil unrest following the murder of Mr. Floyd; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, hereby call upon the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Ethics to hold one or more subject-matter hearings on the OIG's Report on Chicago's Response to George Floyd Protests and Unrest; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this hearing shall include a presentation by OIG on the findings incorporated in its Report, and that appropriate officials from both CPD and the Mayor's Office be present to answer questions relating to OIG's findings for the entire duration of the hearing; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this hearing shall occur within 14 days of the public release of the IMT's investigation report.
Aid. Matt Martin, 47th Ward
Aid. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd Ward
The following legislation is being introduced by Aids. Martin (47) and Rodriguez Sanchez (33) regarding the Office of Inspector General's February 18, 2021 Report, and is co-sponsored by:
Daniel La Spata
Alderman Ward 1
Alderman Ward 2
Alderman Ward 12 Marty Quinn Alderman Ward 13
Alderman Ward 14 Raymond Lopez Alderman Ward 15
Alderman Ward 8 Anthony Beale
Alderman Ward 9
Alderman Ward 10
Alderman Ward 11 1 | Page
Alderman Ward 19 Jeanette Taylor Alderman Ward 20 Howard Brookins Alderman Ward 21 Michael Rodriguez Alderman Ward 22
The following legislation is being introduced by Aids. Martin (47) and Rodriguez Sanchez (33) regarding the Office of Inspector General's February 18, 2021 Report, and is co-sponsored by:
Alderman Ward 23
Alderman Ward 24 Byron Sigcho Lopez
Alderman Ward 25
Alderman Ward 34 Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
Alderman Ward 35
Alderman Ward 36
Alderman Ward 28 Christopher Taliaferro Alderman Ward 29
Alderman Ward 39 Andre Vasquez Alderman Ward 40
Alderman Ward 42 Michele Smith
Alderman Ward 43
The following legislation is being introduced by Aids. Martin (47) and Rodriguez Sanchez (33) regarding the Office of Inspector General's February 18, 2021 Report, and is co-sponsored by:
Alderman Ward 45 Mayor Lightfoot
Alderman Ward 46 Clerk Valencia
Alderman Ward 47 Harry Osterman Alderman Ward 48 Maria Hadden Alderman Ward 49
Alderman Ward 50
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CITY OF CHICAGO
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OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK ANNA M. VALENCIA
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Resolution calling for SM Hearing re: 2/18 OIG Report
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121 NORTH LASALLE STREET, ROOM 107. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602
CITY OF CHICAGO
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK ANNA M. VALENCIA
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121 NORTH LASALLE STREET, ROOM 107. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602