Consent Decree Coalition boycotts CPD’s community engagement plan to house raids

A group of community organizations that fought the Chicago Police Department’s consent decree has announced it will boycott the community engagement plan for home raids, the ACLU of Illinois said in a statement Thursday.

According to the statement, the Consent Decree Coalition sued for the consent decree “to end CPD’s systemic, structural and institutional racist violence.” The coalition recently demanded that the department change its policy and practice of raiding homes — even suing the city over the issue. The department recently announced an advisory panel on the topic, which the coalition said it would not participate in, calling it a waste of community members’ time.

“The City has absurdly argued that the Consent Decree does not regulate CPD’s practice of using excessive and discriminatory force in single-family homes,” the statement said.

The department said it was disappointed by the coalition’s decision to stop engaging with the topic and that its search warrant policy was a “clear example” of the steps it had taken to take into account the views and opinions of the community.

“We will continue to have meaningful discussions with community members and organizations from across the city as we review and revise our search warrant policy in accordance with the consent decree guidelines,” a Chicago police spokesperson said in a statement.

Policy for public comment and review until December 31, and anyone who wants to participate and leave feedback can visit his webpage community participation in search warrant policy.

Home raids have become a major topic of police accountability after 13 Chicago police officers, acting on a bad tip that a man with illegal firearms was living in the apartment, raided the home of social worker Anjeanette Young in February 2019, restraining her, while she was getting ready for bed and was forced to stand handcuffed and naked while officers searched her home.

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The The Chicago Police Department announced the changes to its warrant policy, which went into effect in May 2021. It requires a department officer with the rank of lieutenant or higher to be on the scene when a warrant is executed, and each member of the team executing the warrant must wear body cameras.

A woman member of the department must also be present when the warrant is issued, and a warrant issued against a property or place where occupants may be must be reviewed by several supervisors, including the deputy superintendent. In addition, the more unusual John Doe warrants and warrantless warrants must be authorized by bureau chiefs. John Doe warrants are based on anonymous but verified tips.

The city agreed to a consent decree banning illegal, violent home raids targeting black and brown families after a year of legal back-and-forth, the statement said. But city officials have refused to hold talks on how the practice of police raids on homes will change.

CPD created a “Search Warrant Advisory Group,” which the ACLU of Illinois said “restricts, rather than increases” the community’s power to influence the department’s search warrant policy. The coalition decided it would not participate in the process, calling it “the latest instance of CPD wasting community members’ time on ‘dialogues’ and ‘focus groups’ that produce no change in policing on the ground.”

“The city, mayor and CPD can no longer ignore the voices of people who want to live safely in their homes, free from racist violence at the hands of CPD. We are the reason why the Consent Decree exists,” the statement said. “This federal court order should protect us all from racist violence by the CPD, not just serve as a talking point for elected officials and the FOP. Our voices must be heard. It is a matter of life and death. “

pfry@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @paigexfry