Court-Approved Agreement Will Reform Chicago Policing Practices

January 31, 2019

For Immediate Release
Contact: Shin Inouye, 202.869.0398, [email protected]

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after Judge Robert Michael Dow Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois approved the consent decree to enforce reforms to the Chicago Police Department:

“The approval of this agreement between the Illinois Attorney General and the Chicago Police Department will deliver meaningful and overdue change for policing practices. Chicagoans deserve policing that is safe, fair, and effective for all. We commend the parties for negotiating a decree rooted in the principles of equity, transparency, and accountability to address serious systemic problems and rebuild community trust.

“This is just the beginning of a process that will require community members, the court-appointed monitor, and the Attorney General’s office to ensure the decree is properly enforced and to keep the Chicago Police Department accountable. This agreement also shows that when the U.S. Department of Justice abdicates its responsibility to enforce the Constitution, local partners can, and must, act. This agreement should serve as a model for other departments across the country that need policing reform.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.