Attorney General to Oppose Chicago Police Reforms
"Chicago’s agreement with the ACLU in late 2015 dramatically undercut proactive policing in the city … with homicides increasing more than 57 percent the very next year," Sessions said in the statement.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced he would file a statement in federal court opposing the proposed court order that would force sweeping changes to the Chicago Police Department.
Sessions’ announcement came the day after President Donald Trump suggested the Chicago PD employ stop-and-frisk policing to battle violent crime in the Windy City during a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Orlando, FL.
Sessions revealed his plan weeks before a federal judge is scheduled to hear public comments on the proposed consent decree, a court order that would mandate reforms overseen by an independent monitoring team, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The written announcement from the Department of Justice referenced another controversial oversight deal governing policing in Chicago — the agreement between the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the city that required officers to more thoroughly document street stops. Sessions argued that the deal led to a spike in homicides.
"Chicago’s agreement with the ACLU in late 2015 dramatically undercut proactive policing in the city … with homicides increasing more than 57 percent the very next year," Sessions said in the statement.
"Now the city’s leaders are seeking to enter into another agreement. It is imperative that the city not repeat the mistakes of the past — the safety of Chicago depends on it. Accordingly, at the end of this week, the Justice Department will file a statement of interest opposing the proposed consent decree. It is critical that Chicago get this right."
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