The Final Call

SWAT teams and helicopter patrols in Chicago

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• Study documents tolerance for rogue officers in Black, Latino neighborhoods (FCN, 12-11-2007)

Members of the Chicago Police Department in the predominately Black Auburn-Gresham neighborhood. Photo: Ashahed M. Muhammad

Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Jody Weis recently announced the deployment of SWAT teams along with other specialized tactical units to patrol neighborhoods which have been identified by the CPD as areas with potentially high levels of retaliatory gang violence, widespread narcotics sales, and a high level of gang membership.

Critics say this is a prelude to a military “occupation” within Black and Latino communities specifically on the city’s south and west sides under the guise of fighting “urban terrorism.”

“Chicago is representing the country of the United States for the Olympics,” said long-time community activist Wallace “Gator” Bradley. “This is occupation under the guise of letting the world know that Chicago is worthy of having the Olympics and letting the world know that they (will be) protecting their athletes against international terrorism,” said Mr. Bradley.

According to Supt. Weis, this surge includes the use of helicopter patrols as well as an increased presence of uniformed officers necessary to counter the recent spike in violence. The shootings came ahead of summer months which—according to annual crime trends—result in an increase in violent crimes.

“Random shootings are the deadliest crimes against our youth and residents, and with the warmer weather ahead, the likelihood the violent crime will occur increases,” said Supt. Weis. “By deploying these officers in the right place at the right time now, we can eliminate the potential for violence and begin identifying some of the crime patterns and violence anticipated during the upcoming summer months,” Supt. Weis added.

On April 25, Mayor Richard M. Daley hosted a closed door, invitation only meeting at an undisclosed location with police officials, community activists, social service workers and religious leaders to discuss possible solutions to the epidemic of gun violence. This came just two weeks after Mayor Daley announced researchers from the University of Chicago would sit down with victims and perpetrators of violence to identify some of the possible causes. Mayor Daley also announced that he would support a proposal by Supt. Weis to equip all CPD officers with the same semiautomatic assault rifles currently used by the department’s SWAT units. Critics say none of these meetings, studies or upgraded weaponry will be effective in curbing violence.

“The mayor is having a summit. No one knows where the summit is being held,” Mr. Bradley told The Final Call. “Hell, I’m a parent, a grandparent and about to be a great-grandparent,” Mr. Bradley said adding that he was not invited to the mayor’s “secret summit” even though he is very influential and well-known as a peace keeper especially with street organizations. He advocates meeting with the influential leaders of the warring factions of the street organizations. Mr. Bradley also believes that two of the most well-known and legendary street organization leaders—Jeff Fort and Larry Hoover—should be allowed to do a public service announcement “for the sake of peace in the streets.” Both men are currently imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado probably for the rest of their lives.

Despite her 21 years in policing and community activism, Pat Hill, the executive director of the African American Police League told The Final Call she was not invited to the mayor’s summit either. The community must demand that true representatives be invited to these meetings and until they are included, the mayor’s summits and meetings are “illegitimate,” she said.

Ms. Hill has worked with members of street organizations, police officers and groups, such as Ceasefire, to combat violence. She takes Black and Latino police officers to task for allowing themselves to be used by the CPD to descend upon on their own communities.

“Black and Latino officers who are going along (with this) have no sense of identity,” said Ms. Hill. “They don’t understand that once they take off that uniform and they go home—after they’ve vamped on their communities—they go home to those same communities,” she said.

“If they were real peace officers, they would not take that position. They live in these communities (but) they can’t protect their mothers, they can’t protect their children, they can’t even protect their own families. White police officers serve and protect their communities. Black police officers police their communities. There’s a big difference,” she said adding that many Black officers are “too scared” to stand up for their communities.

The African American Police League was on record as being in opposition to the mayor’s selection of Mr. Weis to head the CPD. Since being sworn in on Feb. 1, 2008, Supt. Weis—a 22-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation—has had a busy first few months on the job. He inherited a scandal-ridden Chicago Police Department.

In mid-March, Supt. Weis shook-up the department by replacing, demoting or reassigning 21 of 25 district commanders. District commanders were also ordered to work weekend nights to monitor their areas of responsibility. Shortly thereafter, he announced the CPD would take police officers from administrative duty and deploy them in high crime, gang infested areas where levels of violence have escalated.

The disbanding of the Special Operations Section of the Chicago Police Department led to the creation of the Independent Police Review Authority—the agency responsible for looking into claims of excessive force and ethical impropriety involving members of the CPD. A November 2007 report from researchers at the University of Chicago found that there is an institutional tolerance for rogue cops within the CPD and they often are stationed in Black and Latino neighborhoods. The most recent legal hurdle for the department involved the city council unanimously voting to approve a nearly $20 million legal settlement in the cases of four Black men who accused members of the CPD of racist torture and brutality under former Cmdr. Jon Burge.

Activists say the worst and most severe aspects of the law enforcement crackdown are still yet to come.

“This is a dry run for them to get into gear before they go into real action on the Black community,” said Ms. Hill. “Black Chicago is going to be on lockdown. Get ready for curfews, needing documentation to walk the street during the day, what does that sound like?” asked Ms. Hill rhetorically. “Not too long ago it was apartheid in South Africa.”