Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced new reforms in the city's police department on Thursday as a "down payment" to restore trust in the community.
The statement read in part:
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Superintendent Eddie Johnson are announcing today that the Chicago Police Department is taking the next steps on its road to reform by immediately implementing nearly a third of the recommendations from the Police Accountability Task Force. The city is further reviewing and developing an action plan around the remaining recommendations.
“As a city, we cannot rest until we fully address the systemic issues facing the Chicago Police Department, and the steps announced today build on our road to reform,” the mayor said. “Under the leadership of Superintendent Eddie Johnson, the police department will implement these reforms immediately while we continue to work together to find additional ways to restore the fabric of trust in communities across Chicago. As we look toward the future, our city will be better off because we faced up to these challenges and confronted them head on.”
Reforms include, among other things, independent investigations of police conduct, a new Public Safety Auditor, and increased transparency. The Department of Justice's Task Force made at least 76 recommendations to the Chicago PD and so far they are implementing over 30% with the promise of even more in the future -- thus the "down payment" promise.
At first glance, these reforms seem to address little more than rebuilding trust between the police and the public and completely ignores the climbing death rates due to black-on-black crime in the city. Is the "expanded use of body cameras" going to catch the isolated incident of police misconduct or is that intended to stop the daily drive-by shootings?
Superintendent Johnson is not answering that question, preferring to bask in the limelight this political theater brings:
“Trust is at the heart of good policing, safe communities and is the central challenge facing Chicago today. These reforms are a down payment on restoring that trust, and build on the important progress we’ve made in recent months. Working together with community leaders, parents, ministers, youth, and others, we will continue to build on this progress in the months and years ahead.”
