CCPSA May Recap
On May 25, 2023, the Chicago Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability held a public meeting to discuss the continuing search for a police superintendent and recent committee recommendations. As ordered by the federal consent decree issued in 2019, the Commission highlighted the need for the creation of a permanent selection process for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) chief and the corresponding nine members of the police board. Based on this belief and value, the Commission has invited the community to submit public comments online for the next 30 days and also plans to hold a meeting on June 29 to gather feedback.
To involve the community in the selection process, the Commission drafted two policies outlining proposed selection procedures for appointing the chief administrator of COPA and nominating candidates to the police board. The first focuses on selection procedures for the COPA Chief Administrator while the second relates to the process of selecting police board members. Both draft policies emphasize community engagement and seek to collect feedback from the public as a way to build trust and improve interactions between the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the people it serves.
During the meeting, Commissioner Beth Brown, Pastor of CRS member congregation Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, highlighted the importance of community involvement in the selection process. The commission aims to build trust between the police and the community by ensuring that the new superintendent is someone committed to fairness, transparency and accountability. The commission also discussed the loss of Officer Areanah Preston and the need for the new superintendent to prioritize police resources and allocation based on the shocking response time to her killing.
Overall, involving the community in the selection process is a critical step in building trust and ensuring that the police department operates fairly and transparently. The Commission encourages members of the community to provide feedback on the draft policies and participate in the selection process, thus allowing residents of every Chicago community meaningful opportunities to shape CPD policies and practices that affect their lives.
Katie Masano Hill, Communications Intern