January 13, 2017

Duckworth Reacts to Department of Justice’s Report on Chicago Police Department Institutional Misconduct

 

CHICAGO, IL- In response to the Department of Justice's (DOJ) report on its investigation into Chicago Police Department patterns and practices, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement:

"Attorney General Lynch confirmed today in troubling detail that the Chicago Police Department has deprived Chicagoans of their constitutional rights and engaged in patterns of racial bias and excessive--even needless--use of force far too frequently for far too long. I appreciate the Department of Justice's confirmation that the city has made important progress over the last year on several meaningful reforms like equipping more officers with body cameras and improving de-escalation training so officers can better recognize the difference between mental health emergencies and criminal situations."

"Today's report is a necessary step to help repair the frayed relationship between Chicago's law enforcement officials and the communities they are sworn to protect, but the systemic failures within the Chicago Police Department cannot be solved in a day, a month or even a year. Regaining the people's trust will take time, and the city and federal government must work together to rebuild the strong community relationships every police force needs to effectively protect and defend its citizens. As Senator, I will continue my work to reform the criminal justice system so that it holds both officers and criminals accountable for wrongdoing, and my work to provide our law enforcement officers with the resources they need to carry out a demanding and often dangerous job."

"Countless police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, and we should all recognize the good work the vast majority of them do under difficult circumstances. I hope the next Administration will support and continue the collaborative efforts announced today to enable these officers to regain the trust broken by bad actors and ensure all Chicagoans receive equal protection under the law."

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