Press Release

41 District Council Members Unite in Urgent Call to City Council to Safeguard Police Accountability and Transparency in Chicago

Date:

September 20, 2023

CHICAGO- Forty-one District Council members have come together to submit an open letter to
the Chicago City Council. The letter urges City Council members to vote down any proposed
changes to police union contracts that would undermine core principles of accountability and
transparency, gut the Police Board’s authority, and weaken the recently-established Community
Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.

The District Council members’ collective call to action comes in response to an arbitrator’s
recently issued opinion that would allow police officers facing serious misconduct charges to
bypass the traditional adjudication process through the Police Board and opt for private
arbitration. The arbitrator was brought in to resolve disputes over provisions that could be
included in the Fraternal Order of Police contract, portions of which are still being negotiated.
The arbitrator’s ruling would not go into effect unless the City Council votes to add language to
the FOP contract to reflect the ruling.

Since 1961, the Police Board has held exclusive authority to make determinations in cases
where the Superintendent of Police proposes the firing of sworn officers from the Chicago
Police Department. These cases encompass a wide spectrum of serious allegations, including
instances of police-involved shootings, excessive use of force, unlawful searches, and sexual
misconduct.

“This ruling, allowing the most severe cases of misconduct to be handled behind closed doors,
threatens to undermine the very fabric of accountability and transparency that our communities
rely upon. We must safeguard the public’s trust in the integrity of law enforcement processes,
especially at this critical time,” said Alexander Perez, 2nd District Council member.
“We are deeply concerned about the potential ramifications of this decision, which appears to
favor the interests of the Fraternal Order of Police over the interests of the community. It’s essential that we reject measures that compromise our fundamental values of transparency, accountability, and justice,” added David Orlikoff, 14th District Council member.

This united call to action represents an extraordinary display of solidarity among District Council
members who represent various police districts throughout the city. Their concerns are rooted in
the arbitrator’s opinion, which would allow police officers accused of serious misconduct to
circumvent established accountability mechanisms, potentially undermining public trust in the
law enforcement system.