[in person] 19th Police District Council - Uptown/North Center/Lake View
Chicago Police District Councils
Criminal Justice
4455 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60625 Chicago, IL 60625 (Directions)
Sulzer Regional Library
This is an in-person assignment and will include an additional hour of pay. PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK the meeting details on the day of your assignment, as dates and locations sometimes change. As of this writing, the meeting has been listed in the 2023 schedule but no agenda has been posted for that date.
Pre-Research Resources
- The TRiiBE: “ECPS coalition wins a wide majority of Chicago’s new Police District Council seats”
- City of Chicago: Official District Council webpage
- Find My Beat and District: Interactive map of police district boundaries
- Chicago Reader/Block Club Chicago: Information about the candidates who ran for this council in the municipal elections
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Live reporting by
Eli Gillespie
19th Police District Council members discussed the need for an updated workforce allocation study of the Chicago Police Department, echoing a statement from the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability on CPD’s proposed 2024 budget.
Eli Gillespie
@EliDocumentsChi
Hello everyone! Today I will be covering today’s 19th Police District Council meeting for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters
06:30 PM Nov 28, 2023 CST
The 19th police district includes most of Uptown, North Center, and Lake View. It is bordered by Lawrence Avenue on the north, Fullerton Avenue on the south, Lake Michigan on the east, and the Chicago River on the west
The responsibilities of a police district council include gathering input from the communities they represent, helping police develop and implement community policing initiatives, and nominating members of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
The City of Chicago provides more information on police district councils here:
chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…
In this meeting, the 19th Police District Council plans to provide the residents of the 19th district with public safety updates and information about a Chicago Police Department Workforce Allocation Study
For more information about the 19th Police District Council, go to their website:
19thdistrictcouncil.com
The district council members — Maurilio Garcia, Sam Schoenburg, and Jenny Schaffer — begin the meeting at 6:30
Jenny Schaffer delivers an update on the migrant situation, saying that while the 19th station still has many migrants, the city is working to decompress all stations. Says that the tent city outside the station has been cleared
Schaffer says that the rental assistance program is no longer open to migrants, says that this feels unsustainable
Maurilio Garcia gives updates on incidents in the area. Says that there will be greater police presence in the Lincoln Square and North Center areas. Highlights increase in robberies and batteries
Highlights past meeting with Commander Jessani. Highlights a continued commitment to goals such as expanding the CARE program, highlighting alternative solutions for homelessness, reimagining CPD, and the benefits of a workforce allocation study
Sam Schoenburg highlights meeting with Mayor Johnson and district council members across the city. Says that Mayor Johnson recognizes that this is a new form of government. Says that district council members asked to be included in conversations about public safety in Chicago
Highlights a quarterly meeting between all district council members across the city. Describes it as a wonderful opportunity to share knowledge across district councils. Says that district council members will continue to outline goals for CCPSA
Schoenburg highlights that the nominating committee is currently reviewing applications for the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA). Highlights important role that CCPSA plays
Jenny Schaffer delivers updates on compliance with consent decree.
Maurilio Garcia presents on a Workforce Allocation Study. He begins by defining what a Workforce Allocation Study is
Garcia notes that results of previous Workforce Allocation Studies have not been released
Garcia says he believes that a Workforce Allocation Study that is data driven could help police do their jobs better. Points out that similar studies have been successful in other cities.
Schoenburg discusses why a Workforce Allocation Study might be needed. Says he believes such a study could make policing easier for officers. Says study could show where officers can be most effective and where their time can be best spent
Schoenburg notes high number of sworn officers in Chicago, especially compared to other cities
He also notes that Chicago has a very small proportion of civilians in the department compared to other cities. Describes Chicago as “out of whack” compared to number of civilian positions in police departments in sister cities
Schoenburg notes that both CCPSA and the independent monitor for the Chicago Consent Decree have called for a Workforce Allocation Study
Schoenburg notes that Chicago has decreased compliance with the consent decree in some areas
Schoenburg notes that a previous Workforce Allocation Study said that officers are not deployed when shootings occur
Schoenburg says that they got a commitment from the Mayor’s administration to support a workforce allocation study
Highlights order introduced by Alder Matt Martin for a Workforce Allocation Study
Jenny Schaffer says that they want to know what the right number of officers for the department is
Questions that district council members believe can help answer this
Schaffer wants to know to what extent there is a consistency of officers between beats (ie the same officers patrolling the same beats), which she sees as fostering trust between police and communities
Schaffer asks if officers are being given the right responsibilities, says there is an agreement that officers are being asked to do too much. Hypothesizes that officers are being given the “wrong” tasks
Questions about whether officers have the right responsibilities
Schaffer says that Chicago needs more effective policing to solve murders and make arrests
The presentation concludes with a quote from Deborah Witzburg, Chicago’s Inspector General
Next, the district councilors invite Isaac Troncoso, a CCPSA commissioner, to speak
Troncoso says that there is very little publicly available and data driven strategies for how CPD allocates its officers. Says that much of the strategy is dictated by norms instead of data. Says that in some areas of the city, people can experience response times up to two hours
Says that CPD has not done much with 2019 Workforce Allocation Study
Describes setting annual goals for CPD. Describes meeting with Superintendent Brown where Brown said that he believed the 2019 study was missing some elements
Adds that a Workforce Allocation Study could add oversight to officer interactions, improve response times, and improve police ability to solve crimes
Comment #1: asks if the study plans to include efficiencies related to how officers take in information and how reports are filed. Claims officers are using windows vista to file reports
Schoenburg responds study should include questions from community & that could be included
Schoenburg responds study should include questions from community & that could be included
Comment #2: asks about roadmap for how report would be completed, asks if there could be transparency for progress of completing report. Asks if other alders have signed onto Alder Martin’s order
Schaffer says that order is currently in committee, explains that order needs to be passed out of committee to become an order. Says police district council has considered writing letter to support order. Says they are currently looking for different funding
Says that funding from a foundation could provide additional accountability
Comment #3: asks how much district council will have sway over what vendor is chosen for the study. Says that geography and geography-based questions are very important for study
Garcia says that they do not know what vendor will be chosen but is very hopeful about letter that they plan to write in support of Workforce Allocation Study
Comment #5: asks who was responsible for lack of release of 2019 report. Asks if report is covered under FOIA
Schaffer responds that it was the department who refused to release study.
Schaffer responds that it was the department who refused to release study.
Comment #6: asks if it is more effective for a civilian to communicate with department than to conduct study. Says we need more empathy for officers struggling to do their jobs
Garcia says that they are working with department to make public aware of incidents more quickly
Schoenburg emphasizes need to look at systems, not people. Says he has nothing but respect for officers in 19th police district
Schoenburg emphasizes need to look at systems, not people. Says he has nothing but respect for officers in 19th police district
Troncoso talks about ride along he did with police. Says he saw more in a day than he did in a life. Says he is pushing for study because current ways of allocating officers do a disservice to police
Comment #7: echoes previous points about data collection. Asks if study can be driven by communities and if questions can be created through community engagement. Asks what resources are available for this study. Asks abt homelessness & what committee is doing to ensure wellbeing
Schaffer echoes support for Bring Chicago Home Ordinance. Troncoso and Garcia echo commenter’s point about wanting officers engaged in the process of the study
Comment #8: says he believes police officers need to be linked into study. Asks if they have gotten any response about whether FOP supports study. Says that beat facilitators are in a position to explain study. Audience member asks what a beat facilitator is.
Commenter responds that beat facilitators are the people who facilitate meetings in police beats
Schaffer says that they have not spoken to FOP. Says she wants people to sign onto letter and welcomes beat facilitators’ help in getting people to sign on
Comment #9: says more people should attend beat meetings. Says that we want to make the job of the police easier. Says that the Mayor’s office is making the job of police more difficult by saying that youth committing crimes are being demonized.
Blames Kim Foxx for allowing people to be let out early. Further says that there needs to be less police resentment, especially from youth
Comment #10: says she agrees with previous commenter. Points to police as people keeping the neighborhood safe. Asks who is tired of carjackings and armed robberies. Asks when district council plans to next meet with Mayor Johnson
Schoenburg says that there are no meetings currently scheduled. Echoes commenter’s concerns about armed robberies and carjackings
Commenter says we need to hold state’s attorney’s office accountable for releasing people early
Attachments
Agency Information
Chicago Police District Councils
Each of the 22 District Councils is made up of three people elected by residents of the police district in regular municipal elections every four years, though anyone can participate in District Council work, and the more people who participate, the more effective the District Councils can be. The first District Council elections occurred in February 2023. Just as Chicagoans vote for a mayor and a local ward Alderperson, they also vote for up to three people to serve on the District Council.
The District Councils have several key roles:
- Building stronger connections between the police and the community at the district level, where the community is a true partner in making the neighborhood safer. They can work with the police to address problems and set priorities.
- Collaborating in the development and implementation of community policing initiatives.
- Holding monthly public meetings, where residents can work on local initiatives rooted in community concerns and priorities. They can also raise and work to address concerns about policing in the district, and increase accountability.
- Working with the community to get input on police department policies and practices. Working to develop and expand restorative justice and similar programs in the police district.
- Ensuring that the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability gets input from the community, so that the Commission’s work will be based on what people in neighborhoods across the city are concerned about.
- Nominating members of the Community Commission. Anyone who serves on the Community Commission must first have the support of elected District Council members.
(Source: Municipal Code of Chicago, 2-80-070(a) and (e))
For a map of police districts, visit https://www.chicagocityscape.com/maps/index.php#/?places_type=chipolicedistrict.
Documents
No documents available
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