These public meetings are held once a month. The last one occurred on April 21st. Here is the agenda: https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/cpb/PubMtgMinutes/BlueBook05262022.pdf

Starting up, Ghian Foreman is taking roll call. Members of the public are on mute to reduce disruptions, and they will be allowed to unmute for the open comment portion.

Tamara Mahal, Chief Coordination Officer, Community Safety, Office of the Mayor is being introduced.

Mahal said the pandemic tested every level of government. She oversaw the covid vaccine operation under @DrArwady. First time she says the government 1) had to see its role through a single lens and 2) to use data to back its strategy.

This public health approach has to do with gun violence too, she says. Lightfoot addressed this via the Community Safety Coordination Center. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/public-safety-and-violence-reduction/home/CSCC.html

Talking about the root causes of gun violence and their public health framework: https://t.co/APEGr0fueW

Need to identify individuals, prevent retaliation, and divert people away from the criminal justice system, Mahal says.

My model is “everyone does have a role to play in violence prevention and public safety.”

Here are the agency roles they have identified. Some are less obvious, like lead line replacements: https://t.co/sraVy59PTd

Mahal says they’re ensuring the violence reduction strategy is community-based and hyperlocal. “Violence is a block by block issue in Chicago,” she says. They’ve been working to identify effective strategies in other cities.

The Community Safety Coordination Center (CSCC) is focused in communities “that have experienced the most violence - 8 communities listed here (some are recent additions, she says): https://t.co/2wF8TvIHdE

Some of their strategies:
1) An anti-violence marketing campaign
2) Distributing cameras, tracking devices, gps to businesses and neighborhoods
3) Lighting, road improvements, addressing vacant lots
4) Revitalizing block clubs
5) Offering mental health skills trainings

7) Also activating Community Activation Networks, essentially “crisis response teams” meeting on a weekly basis. Mahal says they will be activated when they have an instance of “community concern,” such as when a juvenile is shot at.

@Mister_Chairman asking how they are tapping into the faith community when they are addressing the block level. Mahal says they are working with faith leaders and have them on their steering committee.

Mahal says their new website launches next week, on June 1st, in response to another question. The link is not available yet.

Several police disciplinary cases on the agenda. Taking final action on 3 cases:
1) Case 20PP2976 - find officer Angel Nunez guilty of domestic charges (missed the second part of this, something after domestic), and to discharge him. Voted in favor.

Moving fast through these three:
1) Rebecca (missed last name)- wrongly reported the discharge of a firearm, move to discharge her. Voted in favor.
2) Robert Cues - misconduct during an off duty domestic situation. He already resigned. Still voting in favor.

Superintendent and someone else did not agree on a decision regarding cases 22-04 and 22-05.

Officer Adolfo Villanos be discharged for wrongly firing, injuring Michael Elan. Officer Guillermo also did not request significant aid for Elan, up for discharge.

We’re continuing through other officer cases being reviewed. Officer Sampson also up for suspension for misconduct.

Clarification on process from Ghian Foreman:
Someone from the board is randomly selected each month to review these cases.

Superintendent David Brown speaking now. Will have over 40 events over the holiday weekend and will have an additional police presence.

Will also have an “increase bike patrol” and resources on public transit systems. “We’re maintaining a high visibility presence on the CTA this weekend and beyond”

Brown says homicides are down 10 percent.

15 areas, with 55 beats, account for 50 percent of city violence, Brown adds. Homicides down 37 percent in these areas he says.

Residents have long come to complain about open air drug markets, Ghian Foreman says, and they reached out grateful for a recent bust conducted.

Andrea Kersten, COPA, speaking now. Going through stats fast. In April there were 437 complaints, ~100 under COPA (https://www.chicagocopa.org/) jurisdiction. Many under the 4th amendment. Closed 2 officer involved shooting investigations.

The 15 areas they are targeting, “if you overlay them with the complaints,” she says, “those are the same areas, the same people.”

Trying to work with other offices to meet needs like housing and employment insecurity.

Now calling on people who signed up in advance to speak, and starting the public comment period.

Da Jae Allen, member of the Chicago Youth Council for Police Accountability, speaking. Talking about a recent panel they had. Next: trying to grow (this was their first year), thanks the group for letting them speak.

@RemMyStory speaking now. Starting an org addressing the online and offline sexual violence. Sharing her story of reaching out to CPD in 2020, when she reached out to District 1.

Caples was informed by a female detective that if she didn’t want explicit images shared of her online she shouldn’t have shared them. She was aware of the IL statute, but the detective refused to help her or investigate the case. Filed a complaint but it was dismissed.

Forman says they are at time and apologizes to Caples. Says that if she wants to pursue the complaint, then he can get her in touch with COPA.

Caples says there are two things: 1) follow up with COPA, 2) officers aren’t trained with how to deal with sexual violence. “Who could you direct me to to address training?” Forman says he will set up a conversation.

Melanie Sholes speaking now. Says they’ve started an initiative called Citizens for Safer Celebration, to address harmful celebration with guns and youth firework use. In addition to personal injuries, properties have also had fire damage, causing displacement of residents.

Easy to buy fireworks in Indiana and transport them over the state line, Sholes says. Encourages officers to use ShotSpotter to spread their method and save lives.

Rodney Johnson, from 7400 S Indiana block club, now talking about violence on 75th street in the area known as Black Wall Street. Last year, due to flash mobs, a woman was killed and they worked to come with a plan.

Recently they have been experiencing more violence. Johnson said he’s here to ask if they could have the deputy chiefs, in addition to their aldermans, be part of their upcoming meeting. Supt. Brown says they can be present.

Anthony Crawford now speaking, with Operation Neighborhood Safety and one other org starting with Citizens. Resident of Greater Grand Crossing and talking about how they need an increased presence on 75th street.

Speaking about fireworks too, and says the majority of injuries happen with children aged 10 to 14 years old.

Jennifer Edwards speaking now about a project called Together We Can. At their joint meeting last Wed. they talked to a gas station owner who was concerned about crime, and is grateful for an increased police presence near his business. Thanking the group.

Brandon, another speaker, not present.

Brad Redrick now speaking about Grand Crossing as well. Says that on the 6th district side, there is no community organizer manager, which is overworking the police who are not trained to do that.

The 3rd district got one, but not the 6th, he says.

“We’re really begging that this vacancy can be filled,” he said. Supt. Brown replies, and says they do need this filled ASAP and will get on it.

Lee Taylor not present. @LaRieSuttle216, law student at DePaul speaking, has 12 updates about what has happened since Chicago’s consent decree.

She continues that COPA was FOIAed, and they had a meeting on March 9th. Ran out of time. Forman says to submit her statement.

Crista Noel speaking now. Says she is upset about the shooting of the 13 year old at the gas station.

What is going on with the Nikita Brown case, she asks.

COPA concluded the case last October, Andrea Kersten replies. The investigation into the officer-involved shooting of the 13-year-old is ongoing, Kersten adds.

Kersten says “The city’s video release policy is to publish videos” when there is an officer-involved shooting, but because it is a juvenile court case, the release of the videos has been delayed.

Officer Dyker has retired, and there’s not much the Police Board can do since he’s no longer an employee, Forman says.

Mr. Robert Moore speaking now about conversion of government employees, I believe. His 2 minutes is up as well, cut off.

Meeting adjourned at 8:43pm. This concludes the Chicago Police Board meeting. For more meeting coverage, check out http://documenters.org.

*A note that there may be misspellings of officer or speaker names, as they went through them quickly. The next monthly Chicago Police Board meeting will be held on June 16th. Check back here for the meeting transcript and recording: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cpb/provdrs/public_meetings.html

Two additional notes: correct spelling is Nikkita Brown, and the the correct number of communities the Police Board has chosen to focus on is 15, not 8.