Committee on Public Safety February 24, 2021 City Council Meeting
RESOLUTION OF
NO CONFIDENCE
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is a home rule unit of government as defined in Article VII, Section 6 (a) of the Illinois Constitution; and,
WHEREAS, As a home rule unit of government, the City of Chicago may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs; and,
WHEREAS, The safety and security of the residents of the City of Chicago is a matter pertaining to government and affairs of the City of Chicago; and,
WHEREAS, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the appointment of David Brown as Superintendent of Police on April 2, 2020, noting "Through his nationally-recognized leadership and years of on-the-ground work to create a culture rooted in transparency, accountability and community policing, he will build on our all-hands-on-deck effort to create real, widespread and lasting public safety in our communities;" and,
WHEREAS, In a year-over-year comparison, the City of Chicago saw a 52% increase in persons shot, 53% increase in fatal shootings, and a 51% increase in shooting victims wounded but surviving; and,
WHEREAS, In a year-over-year comparison, the City of Chicago saw more than double the carjackings in 2020 (1,396) as opposed to 2019 (603) while arrests remained stagnant at 55; and,
WHEREAS, The surge in violence and shootings overwhelming impacts the African American and Latino residents and communities of the City of Chicago, with 79.2% of victims being African American 16.5% Latino; and,
WHEREAS, COVID-19 and civil unrest has not made the duties and responsibilities of law enforcement any easier, the Office of the Inspector General noted that the leadership of the Chicago Police Department failed its department and the residents of the city during the George Floyd protests; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Members of the Chicago City Council, gathered here this 24h Day of February, do hereby call for public hearings to be held by the Committee on Public Safety on the leadership of Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown, or lack there of; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That should his efficacy leave the body wanting, a "Vote of No Confidence" be advanced to the City Council of the City of Chicago.