[remote or in person] Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability

Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Criminal Justice

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024
6:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. CDT

View meeting details

Add to iCal

Add to Google Calendar

740 E 56th Pl, Hyde Park, Chicago, IL 60637-1408 Chicago, IL 60637-1408 (Directions)

DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center

For this assignment, you will be documenting the following:

  • 6:30 p.m.: A regular meeting of the CCPSA
  • 7:15 p.m.: A special hearing on gun violence

See the attached agendas for more information.

You have the option of documenting in person or remotely.

If you choose to attend in person, an additional hour will be added to your total assignment hours. You may be asked to provide government-issued photo ID and to go through a metal detector.

If you choose to document remotely, you will need to register for the Zoom meeting at: https://cityofchicago-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bTsI66xHRnKvOmIGZtzbbw#/registration. Never post a Zoom link directly on Twitter as this can lead to Zoombombing. Instead, you can link the agenda.

The end time listed on this assignment is an estimation based on the duration of past meetings of this type.

A video recording of the meeting may be made available after the fact at https://www.youtube.com/@chicagoccpsa/videos.

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Ayanna Watkins

View notes
Live reporting by Ahmad Sayles

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles
Good evening! I’ll be live-tweeting the City of Chicago’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability meeting for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. 🧵

06:27 PM Aug 14, 2024 CDT

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 2/28
Agenda here:
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 3/28
The meeting is called to order. A roll call to establish a quorum is underway. A quorum is met. The public comment period begins.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 4/28
The first public speaker is Shayla Spearman. She's advocating for gun violence reduction.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 5/28
The next speaker is Kamari Powell. She also wants violence reduction programs in the city.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 6/28
The next speaker is Willie Griffin. He wants de-escalation programs, GED programs, and mental health awareness programs to address the issue of gun violence.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 7/28
The next speaker is Celia Colón. She’s a violence intervention advocate. Her sister was killed 3 years ago. She wants the city to make it not mandatory for family members to not have to identify the deceased.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 8/28
The next speaker is Ms. Cook. She saved a young boy’s life on 80th and Exchange. She wants the city to also entact gun violence reduction measures.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 9/28
Fmr. CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks publicly. A cop for 31 years says his family has also been affected by gun violence. He says he wants more police and shot-spotter technology to be used. He says that data and technology save lives.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 10/28
The next speaker is Kirk Fleming. He wants the city to address gun accessibility. He says he was once the problem in his neighborhood but when given better opportunities, he made better choices.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 11/28
The public comment period is over. President Anthony Driver now moves the meeting to the agenda and the filling of the vacancy of the 6th district council. Dr. Whitaker is recommended by the commission to fill the position. Her recommendation will be passed on to Mayor Johnson.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 12/28
The CCPSA is now receiving a DNC update on safety and protocol.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 13/28
The DNC update presentation is over. With no further business before the commission, President Anthony Driver adjourns the meeting.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 14/28
City of Chicago’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability special meeting begins at 7:15 p.m. The meeting begins with public comments. The first two speakers wants the mayor to create an office of gun violence reduction.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 15/28
The next speaker is Pastor Glover, who preaches on the southeast side. She wants more resources for survivors of gun violence. She says the trauma of consoling the families of gun violence victims has changed her and she wants to city to do more.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 16/28
The next speaker says that he appreciates the commission’s efforts but CPD was broken before he was born and is still broken. He wants an end to the abuse of cops pulling over Black drivers unjustly. He wants the police to reduce gun violence instead.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 17/28
The public comment period is over. The panel discussion on the creation of the Office of Gun Violence Reduction is underway.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 18/28
We have leaders of faith-based and gun violence reduction organizations around the city on the panel. Norman Kerr, Dr. Moses III, and others are answering questions.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 19/28
Dan Hinkle, an investigative reporter is also on the panel.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 20/28
The panel is discussing how money should be spent to prevent violence in communities. The panel suggests a better public health strategy, ending the carceral state and an investment of resources in areas that have high violence.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 21/28
The ending of the carceral state recommendation is getting pushback from a member of the commission. They state that they still want to see criminals held accountable for breaking the law. Dr. Moss III responds that the point of the office should be to prevent that situation.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 22/28
President Driver asks the panel whether it should be a department or an office of gun violence prevention. Kerr says that we need long-term permanence, so this remains an issue of priority. He wants a department. So that regardless of the mayor or budget, we have resources.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 23/28
Kerr says that the same public strategy of stopping COVID needs to be employed to address the crisis of gun violence. He says that public awareness needs to be increased.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 24/28
Dr. Moss III says that a small allocation of resources can dramatically reduce gun violence in the city. He compares our efforts to other American cities and says that we can do better outreach to disrupt violence.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 25/28
The panel and commentators are imploring the commission to enact a city-wide approach to addressing gun violence. They want mentoring, community engagement, and youth programs to interrupt violence.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 26/28
President Driver thanks the public speakers, panel, and the commission for their comments. He endorses the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. He says that he has been personally affected by the epidemic.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 27/28
With no further business before the CCPSA, President Driver adjourns the meeting.
Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 28/28
The City of Chicago’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability regular/special meeting ends at 8:46 p.m. This ends my coverage for @chidocumenters, find more information through Ayanna Watkins’ notes at chicago.documenters.org
chicago.documenters.org
View thread

Agency Information

Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability

www.chicago.gov

(312) 742-8888

See Documenters reporting

In July 2021, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance creating a new model for police oversight, accountability, and public safety. The ordinance creates two types of bodies: a citywide Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, with power to advance systemic reform, and District Councils, which will be elected in each police district and work to improve policing and public safety in the district. The Commission and District Councils will bring police officers and Chicago residents together to plan, prioritize, and build mutual trust; strengthen the police accountability system; give Chicagoans a meaningful new role in oversight; and explore and advance alternative effective approaches to public safety.

Additional context:

More from this agency

See more