File #: 16-0964    Version: 1 Name: CALLING ON THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO EXPAND ITS PATTERNS AND PRACTICES INVESTIGATION OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INCLUDE THE CHICAGO POLICE DETENTION FACILITY KNOWN AS HOMAN SQUARE
Type: Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 1/6/2016 In control: Board of Commissioners
On agenda: 1/13/2016 Final action: 1/13/2016
Title: PROPOSED RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO EXPAND ITS PATTERNS AND PRACTICES INVESTIGATION OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INCLUDE THE CHICAGO POLICE DETENTION FACILITY KNOWN AS HOMAN SQUARE WHEREAS, Cook County is responsible for the administration of the Cook County Circuit Court, the Cook County Jail, and, as a unit of government, bears a share of responsibility for protecting the health, welfare and safety of the general public; and, WHEREAS, the action undertaken by the City of Chicago this past November to make public the dashboard camera video depicting the police shooting of Laquan McDonald, and the subsequent public outcry has resulted in the United States Department of Justice moving swiftly to initiate a "patterns and practices" investigation into the Chicago Police Department; and, WHEREAS, stakeholders throughout Chicagoland, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, have stated that the current Justice Department investigation provides a clear opportunit...
Sponsors: RICHARD R. BOYKIN

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PROPOSED RESOLUTION

 

CALLING ON THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO EXPAND ITS PATTERNS AND PRACTICES INVESTIGATION OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INCLUDE THE CHICAGO POLICE DETENTION FACILITY KNOWN AS HOMAN SQUARE

 

WHEREAS, Cook County is responsible for the administration of the Cook County Circuit Court, the Cook County Jail, and, as a unit of government, bears a share of responsibility for protecting the health, welfare and safety of the general public; and,

WHEREAS, the action undertaken by the City of Chicago this past November to make public the dashboard camera video depicting the police shooting of Laquan McDonald, and the subsequent public outcry has resulted in the United States Department of Justice moving swiftly to initiate a “patterns and practices” investigation into the Chicago Police Department; and,

WHEREAS, stakeholders throughout Chicagoland, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, have stated that the current Justice Department investigation provides a clear opportunity to comprehensively reform police-community relations; and,

WHEREAS, in the interests of comprehensive reform of police-community relations, the aforementioned Justice Department investigation should be as wide-ranging as possible; and,

WHEREAS, throughout 2015, and into 2016, questions have arisen in the community, and in the local, national and international media, around the Chicago Police Department detention facility known as Homan Square; and,  

WHEREAS, the tactics and practices allegedly employed by special units of the Chicago Police Department at Homan Square include failing to enter arrestees into official police databases; physical abuse of detainees, resulting in serious injury and abuse to detainees; prolonged, uninterrupted shackling of detainees; denial of attorney access to detainees; and, holding detainees for up to 24 hours without access to a lawyer; and,

WHEREAS, the alleged tactics and practices at Homan Square, if true, pose serious concerns with respect to the human rights of Cook County residents who live within the vicinity of the facility; and,

WHEREAS, allegations of torture, denial of counsel and off-the-books detentions raise serious questions of human and constitutional rights violations; and,

WHEREAS, such questions are squarely within the purview of the United States Department of Justice and its Civil Rights Division; and,

WHEREAS, any federal investigation of the Chicago Police Department that does not include Homan Square will be incomplete and woefully inadequate;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the President and the Board of Commissioners of Cook County that the United States Department of Justice is hereby requested to expand its current “patterns and practices” investigation to look into allegations of civil and human rights violations at the Chicago Police detention facility known as Homan Square; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent at the earliest opportunity to the Honorable Loretta E. Lynch, Attorney General of the United States.

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