Chicago officials unveil court-monitored police reform plan
A protest against police in Chicago. Photo: Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
State and local officials from Illinois and Chicago released a plan on Friday for a far-reaching police department reform under federal court supervision, reports NBC News.
The big picture: The plan's announcement comes more than a year after an investigation by the Justice Department revealed that the Chicago Police Department had a deep-rooted history of civil rights violations. The report found that the department uses force nearly 10 times as often against black citizens than they did white citizens.
The details: Among the requirements, officers must issue a verbal warning before using force as well as provide life-saving aid after force is used. The plan also issues a 180-day deadline for investigations by the police department's internal affairs bureau and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
- An investigation from the Obama administration's Justice Department that began after the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald prompted many of the proposed reforms.
The backdrop: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued Chicago last year seeking court oversight of Chicago's police department, reports NBC.
- The lawsuit requested an independent court-appointed monitor who would regularly report to a judge about whether the city is meeting reform benchmarks.
What to watch: Though the plan has been released to the public, it is not a done deal. A judge will hold hearings and gather opinions of stakeholders involved before approving the final consent decree.
Police union president Kevin Graham blasted the reform plan calling it "illegal and invalid."
- He argues it is politically motivated by "anti-police" organizations, naming the American Civil Liberties Union and Black Lives Matter directly while vowing to fight it in court.