The Mayor and the Chicago Police Department is attempting to solve a hard problem; establishing trust for one of the country’s most secretive and powerful police departments. The mandate requires Chicago to make public audio, video, and police reports from incidents that fall into the above categories, as well as taser-related incidents that lead to “death or great bodily harm”. According to IPRA’s quarterly report, the agency had more than 764 pending investigations as of March 31, including 75 shootings by police officers.
Advertisement
Emanuel says releasing the videos and other materials changes the decades-old city practice of waiting to release evidence until investigations are concluded. The mayor says the city will continue to work toward reform in the months ahead.
This video includes clips from The Independent Police Review Authority and Office of the Chicago Mayor and an image from Getty Images.
“These past few months, as the city has struggled with so many questions about policing and about police accountability, it has been clear that we all agree that there is a lack of trust, and that increased transparency is essential to rebuilding that trust”, Sharon Fairley said. These videos show the wide variety of cases the review board investigates: Some show suspects charging officers, some fleeing in cars, and some being struck seemingly without provocation. “Sometimes videos may capture only a portion of an event and leave out critical facts and context that are also relevant in assessing the conduct of anyone that is involved”.
The Chicago Police Department has released hundreds of videos capturing incidents of use of force – an massive data dump in the name of improving transparency.
The Independent Police Review Authority posted the material to its website Friday.
It’s the latest step in the city’s effort to regain public trust in its beleaguered police force.
The video was captured by police dashcams and body cameras as well as bystanders recording on cellphones.
One video shows an officer slamming a woman face-first into the hood of a vehicle during a party in a West Side neighborhood in July 2014. Gordon said. However, the arrest report which was released Friday with the video, said the officer had to “defend himself” by using his baton to stop smith. But still, the IPRA investigation involving Jeremiah Smith and Lisa Simmons remains open two years later.
A statement by the Fraternal Order of Police, a union, called IPRA’s decision to release the files “irresponsible”. Some of them have already resulted in civil settlements between the city and the person claiming mistreatment by the police.
Angelo says the agency is trying to deflect attention from the poor job it does investigating cases.
Advertisement
Video clips and investigative materials from more than 100 incidents have been released by a panel which show police officers in Chicago, Illinois, shoot civilians and commit other acts of brutality. Chicago officials waited until November – after a judge’s order – to release a video taken about a year earlier that showed Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is white, shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was black, 16 times. The videos, which are available for 68 of the cases, include dashcam recordings and surveillance footage.
