Increased Police Oversight in Chicago
In July 2021, Chicago made history by passing the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance, which creates a citywide civilian oversight commission with an elected district council from each of the city’s police districts.
The ordinance is considered by many to be the strongest example of civilian oversight in the nation because of the scope of representation: members of the commission must be directly elected by voters and have members from the South, West, and North sides as well as a city-wide member. Only Los Angeles has a robust police oversite board, but its members are not directly elected; they are appointed by the mayor.
The ordinance also shifts power away from police and the mayor and centers it in the communities affected by policing decisions, and it gives communities a voice in police budgeting and policy-making, oversight, and racial policing practices.
As Adam Gross, Executive Director of Chicago’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, explained in the March 30 Chicago in Focus program, the goals of the new commission are to build trust between the Chicago Police Department and the communities it serves, improve public support for police policies and activities, maximize public health and safety and reduce harm, improve interactions between police officers and residents, and enhance overall accountability.