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ANTHONY'S POLICY
POINTS

COMPLIANCE

In 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported on a pattern of using force, including deadly force, by the Chicago Police Department (CPD); this egregious practice has also violated the constitutional rights of many Chicagoans. This pattern has been a result of systemic deficiencies in training and accountability. Our city’s failure to train officers in de-escalation and the failure to conduct meaningful investigations of uses of force is why we need council members devoted to the consent decree. As a member of the 17th District Council, I believe that enforcing the consent decree is critical to our community's safety. 

A consent decree is a court-approved settlement that resolves a legal dispute between parties. This consent decree requires the CPD and the City of Chicago to reform training, policies, and practices in several important areas, such as the use of force, community policing, impartial policing, training, accountability, officer wellness, data and information systems, and more. As part of the 2020 budget, the City allocated approximately $25.5 million towards consent decree and police reform efforts.

APPROACHES

Chicagoans have been experiencing the impacts of decades of disinvestment that have left our communities without adequate mental health services. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's 2012 decision to close half of the city's mental health clinics resulted in the disproportionate suffering of communities of color due to the trauma of systemic disinvestment, lack of nearby services, and service costs. As your next 17th District Council member, we must invest in initiatives like treatment, not trauma. Our communities understand what we require: preventative, proactive, and evidence-based solutions to Chicago's public safety crisis.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults has a mental illness. Currently, most mental health issues in the City of Chicago are handled by the police. The presence of the police during mental health emergencies can dramatically escalate a situation, increasing the risk of being killed during a police encounter by 16 times more likely, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center. The Treatment Not Trauma model establishes a city-wide crisis response program that will send mental health professionals and an EMT to calls instead of armed police officers. It funds a robust public care system capable of supporting individuals after a crisis and working to prevent emergencies from occurring.

GOVERNANCE

Police accountability can become a reality through co-governance. Ensuring that police officers are accountable for implementing equitable, legal, and economical services on behalf of all Chicagoans is essential. Our communities know that when participatory changes are implemented, our communities are happier, healthier, and safer. I'm committed to working with the community to address problems and increase our resources.

Accountability covers both the actions and results of policing. Procedures for managing officer behavior can be established by external accountability systems like District Councils and The Community Commission for Public Safety. Such systems should have the authority to implement measures like routine supervision, frequent performance evaluation of high-ranking police officials, investigating charges of misbehavior on the local level, and early intervention programs for managing officer behavior.

NEWS