[in person] West Side Hearing with CPD Supt. Larry Snelling

Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Criminal Justice

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024
6:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. CST

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2622 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, Illinois 60612 Chicago, IL 60612 (Directions)

JLM Center

This is an in person assignment and will include an additional hour of pay.

This is the first of four public hearings that the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) is required to hold annually for members of the public to address the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Larry Snelling. This hearing will be held in East Garfield Park and is geared toward West Side communities.

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Emily Martinez

Some West Side residents say they aren’t seeing the citywide decline in crime in their neighborhoods.

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Live reporting by Chitra Iyer

Some West Side residents say they aren’t seeing the citywide decline in crime in their neighborhoods.

Chitra Iyer
Helloooo Chicago! I'll be covering today's town hall/public hearing with CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters Hosted by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) @CCPSA_Chicago, 6:30pm at the JLM Center @jlm_life

06:35 PM Jan 30, 2024 CST

Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 2/31
Formed in July 2021 by a Chicago City Council ordinance creating a new model for community oversight and accountability of the CPD, beset by decades of scandals, misconduct and brutality. The CCPSA is tasked with restoring public trust in CPD more info: shorturl.at/ciEHM
shorturl.at/ciEHM
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 3/31
the CCPSA led a 120 day search process to nominate three candidates for Chicago Police Department Superintendent. Larry Snelling was selected by @ChicagosMayor Johnson in Aug 2023 More info on this process: chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…
chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 4/31
The CCPSA is legally required to hold 4 public hearings, which provide a platform for the Superintendent to address Chicago residents. Here, members of the public can share comments, questions and recommendations to guide the Commission's work with Superintendent Snelling
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 5/31
Tonight's hearing is the 2nd of 4. Held in East Garfield Park, it is geared toward West Side communities. For 1st hearing coverage, check out @EliDocumentsChi’s @CHIdocumenters thread here: https://x.com/EliDocumentsChi/status/1749952481281339634?s=20
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 6/31
Though Snelling was unanimously confirmed and hailed as the "son of Englewood" by Major Johnson, his 31+ year career has been dogged by controversy. Based on CPD records, Snelling was the subject of 21 misconduct complaints between 1994 and 2016 southsideweekly.com/larry-snelling…
southsideweekly.com/larry-snelling…
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 7/31
Supt. Snelling has also publicly defended CPD's use of the controversial SpotShooter technology- repeatedly. As Deputy Chief of CPD in 2021, he defended it at a 2021 City Counsel Hearing. He also reaffirmed his support at last week's public hearing blockclubchicago.org/2024/01/24/chi…
blockclubchicago.org/2024/01/24/chi…
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 8/31
This support persists in spite of Mayor Johnson's campaign promise to end Chicago's use of ShotSpotter technology (with its contract ending in February) Read more about ShotSpotter's failures here: macarthurjustice.org/shotspotter-ge…
macarthurjustice.org/shotspotter-ge…
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 9/31
6:40pm, the hearing is now underway. Supt. Snelling initiates with remarks, wishing everyone a good evening, “especially the West Side!”
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 10/31
Also on stage are Anthony Driver, Jr. and Remel Terry- commissioners that are drawn from neighborhoods across the city to bring a wide range of professional and personal experience to the CCPSA
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 11/31
The first audience member asks about homicide clearance rates, mentioning that despite reductions, "[the city] has an outstanding number of cases that need to be addressed”
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 12/31
Supt. Snelling mentions that clearance rates are at 70%, highest they've been in a decade, with 19/25 homicide cases this year cleared
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 13/31
He states intention to build upon the Family Liason program, to reach out to families, victims, survivors violent crimes so they "have more confidence in knowing [CPD] is still working on their cases." more info: wbez.org/stories/chicag…
wbez.org/stories/chicag…
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 14/31
A law student speaks on her, and her mother's, frustration with experiences in reporting race/gender based crimes to the CPD. "No one has come to me to talk about my case...[Crime] won't be eradicated with conversation, we need action"
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 15/31
Multiple individuals asked about youth- specifically, what the community, as well as CPD, can do to steer youth in a positive direction; especially, as Troy Gaston, a local activist, BLM organizer and PhD student specified, "F students like I once was"
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 16/31
Supt. Snelling mentions the importance of partnering with community leaders such as Gaston, and encourages him to share his story with community members because "There’s only so much the police can do, but our uniform gets in the way of folks believing in our message."
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 17/31
When asked about proactive versus reactive policing, Supt. Snelling maintains that the actions taken by police on the job are appropriate, but that "proactive policing must be constitutional...
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 18/31
...[we] don't want police officers acting in ways that destroys the public trust. We want to rebuild the relationship between our community, especially in our most impoverished, overpoliced areas"
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 19/31
Supt. Snelling promises that officers will be held accountable. "Accountability comes from the top down and any failure is on me. If we find someone that doesn’t belong in this department we will get rid of them"
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 20/31
Many have asked about CPD's efforts to increasing the numbers of police officers recruited from the communities they serve. One woman insists that the junior policing program be brought back to increase youth engagement, and Supt. Snelling voices support of the cadet program
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 21/31
Supt. reaffirms support for ShotSpotter, after asked how CPD assesses whether this & other strategies (i.e. traffic stops) are worth police capacity/money. "There are a lot of myths about what ShotSpotter does- it's sound detection, allows officers to get to the scene quicker"
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 22/31
He reiterates the importance of utilizing new technologies in implementing 'new ways of policing'. ShotSpotter's current contract started in 2018; it has drawn persistent criticism across many cities over its unreliable alerts, false leads, and more themarshallproject.org/2023/05/27/chi…
themarshallproject.org/2023/05/27/chi…
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 23/31
multiple times throughout the evening, Supt. Snelling reiterated CPD crime stats indicating a reduction in crime rates for 2023 These were in response to numerous testimonies regarding the high rates of armed robberies, car jackings and violence in the city, esp. the West Side
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 24/31
A woman with initials MH spoke about her brother, who was murdered last October 15th, "a victim of the ongoing rates of armed robberies and carjackings...I have contacted your office numerous times, going as far as hand delivering letters, to no response"
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 25/31
She mentions that carjackings have gone up 333% since pre-pandemic times, and the rate of prosecution leading to arrests is closer to 20%, and asks about what will be done to address this string of armed robberies and carjackings in the 12th ward
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 26/31
In response, Superintendent Snelling asks her to leave her information and promises to follow up
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 27/31
Supt. talks about how frustrating it is for police officers to "lock someone up, only to see them come out and commit the same crime," and that there is a "plan in place" to address repeat offenders, using technology like License Plate Readers
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 28/31
Other comments spoke about longstanding issues particularly affecting the West Side, such as the victimization and disappearance of Black women, as well as fentanyl and drug overdose rates, especially in the 11th district blockclubchicago.org/2023/11/21/who…
blockclubchicago.org/2023/11/21/who…
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 29/31
Supt. Snelling explains that "The 11th district is not only the most challenging district in the state of Illinois, but perhaps in the country..." and explains that resources will continue being put towards these issues, in addition to the work being done already
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 30/31
At 8:14PM Anthony Driver Jr. closes the comment portion of the meeting by thanking participants and encouraging application to the Chicago Community Commission. He announces an upcoming meeting on 'sound and gunshot detection technology' on Feb 8th, 2024 at 6:30PM.
Chitra Iyer @ChittyIyer 31/31
This concludes my coverage on the Chicago CCPSA Public Hearing. For more meeting coverage, check out documenters.org
documenters.org
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Agency Information

Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability

www.chicago.gov

(312) 742-8888

See Documenters reporting

In July 2021, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance creating a new model for police oversight, accountability, and public safety. The ordinance creates two types of bodies: a citywide Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, with power to advance systemic reform, and District Councils, which will be elected in each police district and work to improve policing and public safety in the district. The Commission and District Councils will bring police officers and Chicago residents together to plan, prioritize, and build mutual trust; strengthen the police accountability system; give Chicagoans a meaningful new role in oversight; and explore and advance alternative effective approaches to public safety.

Additional context:

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