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PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE TO FILE 20-3435
(Law Enforcement Committee 10/20/2020)
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE ILLINOIS NAACP STATE CONFERENCE AND THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE TEN SHARED PRINCIPLES
WHEREAS, Cook County has seen numerous peaceful protests against police brutality in response to the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Jacob Blake, Sandra Bland, Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Laquan McDonald, Breonna Taylor, and too many others to name locally and across the country; and
WHEREAS, studies have shown Black individuals have a disproportionate level of involvement in the criminal justice system
WHEREAS, according to the Chicago Tribune, from 2010 to 2015, Chicago Police Officers shot 262 people, killing 92, and with about four out of every five being Black males; and
WHEREAS, further police reform and training is needed to address the disparities of police conduct in communities of color; and
WHEREAS, in response the national outcry following the 2014 fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, and in recognition of the need for candid conversations about the past, present, and future of law enforcement-community relations, the Illinois NAACP State Conference and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police affirmed the following Ten Shared Principles to guide reforms that eliminate the disproportionate negative impacts of policing on people of color:
1. We value the life of every person and consider life to be the highest value.
2. All persons should be treated with dignity and respect. This is another foundational value.
3. We reject discrimination toward any person that is based on race, ethnicity, religion, color, nationality, immigrant status, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or familial status.
4. We endorse the six pillars in the report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The first pillar is to build and rebuild trust through procedural justice, transparency, accountability, and honest recognition of past and present obstacles.
5. We endorse the four pillars of procedural justice, which are fairness, voice (i.e., an opportunity for citizens and police to believe they are heard), transparency, and impartiality.
6. We endorse the values inherent in community policing, which includes community partnerships involving law enforcement, engagement of police officers with residents outside of interaction specific to enforcement of laws, and problem-solving that is collaborative, not one-sided.
7. We believe that developing strong ongoing relationships between law enforcement and communities of color at the leadership level and street level will be the keys to diminishing and eliminating racial tension.
8. We believe that law enforcement and community leaders have a mutual responsibility to encourage all citizens to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the law to assist them in their interactions with law enforcement officers.
9. We support diversity in police departments and in the law enforcement profession. Law enforcement and communities have a mutual responsibility and should work together to make a concerted effort to recruit diverse police departments.
10. We believe de-escalation training should be required to ensure the safety of community members and officers. We endorse using de-escalation tactics to reduce the potential for confrontations that endanger law enforcement officers and community members; and the principle that human life should be taken only as a last resort; and
WHEREAS, the Ten Shared Principles asserts the importance of treating all persons with dignity and respect, and rejects discrimination toward any person on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, color, nationality, immigrant status, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or familial status; and
WHEREAS, the Ten Shared Principles emphasizes building strong relationships between law enforcement and communities of color through transparency, accountability, and honest recognition of past and present obstacles; and
WHEREAS, the Ten Shared Principles mandates de-escalation training to ensure the safety of both community members and officers, and supports the principle that human life should be taken only as a last resort; and
WHEREAS, the Ten Shared Principles resolves to replace mistrust with mutual trust wherever, whenever, and however possible; and
WHEREAS, this document is meant to work in tandem with existing local and statewide efforts; and
WHEREAS, the Ten Shared Principles is a starting point for improving relationships between police officers and the residents they serve, and creating a space for open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving; and
WHEREAS, nearly 200 police departments and law organization have adopted the Ten Shared Principles since its inception in 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves supports and endorses the ideologies outlined in the Ten Shared Principles for the Forest Preserves of Cook County Police.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners supports and endorses the ideologies outlined in the Ten Shared Principles and will work to implement them throughout the County, including lobbying as necessary to the state legislature; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Cook County Sheriff’s Office does hereby support and endorse the ideologies outlined in the Ten Shared Principles; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioner encourages all police departments to adopt these principles and pledges to support police departments in pursuit of these principles.
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