Let’s get honest about Chicago police: They will never embrace reform

In a commentary in the Sun-Times on June 20, Chicago Police Deputy Supt. Barbara West assures us that no one is “more frustrated with the slow pace of reform” of the police department than her.

In response, one can only say — prove it.

Last week, the monitor overseeing the consent decree designed to guide police reform in Chicago issued a second report on the city’s progress with the requirements of the decree. The deputy superintendent tells us that it details “deadlines and areas of compliance that have been missed.” Talk about an understatement.

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The 200-plus page report reflects the reality that CPD is failing to meet the moment of reform. Rather than take steps to address the 70% of deadlines they have simply missed or ignored, CPD offers us more platitudes about their frustration with the pace of reform. What the department fails to do is share what they think the pace should be — since they are the ones missing deadline after deadline.

It is time for honesty. CPD cannot and will not reform itself. It has not meaningfully engaged the public in the process of reform — despite requirements under the decree. And CPD has not adopted national best practices on the use of force.

It is time for intervention here, for the injection of real leadership from the city to move this process forward. Otherwise, we can just look forward to empty promises after the next failing grade is issued.

Karen Sheley, director, Police Practices Project
ACLU of Illinois

Gun laws

I do believe that it’s time the Sun Times uses its platform to call out Springfield for not urgently passing new and effective gun laws. As our nation stands in harmony in the police brutality fight, we must also speak to these horrendous acts of violence in the City Of Chicago.

Mark Wilkins, Bronzeville

When children are killed

This past Father’s Day weekend was very violent. For the second time in the past month, the city had a weekend with at least 70 to 80 people shot and more than 10 people killed, including teenagers and a 3-year-old boy.

State Rep. LaShawn Ford said he wanted resources to areas ravaged by gun violence but then said if a white toddler were killed, it would be different.

Race shouldn’t matter. It’s sad and tragic when any child is killed so why would it be different if the 3-year-old was white? Either way, a family lost a 3-year-old boy to this ongoing violence.

What we don’t need is an elected politician using race as a comparison. Kids are dying and we need solutions and ideas, we don’t need politicians playing the race card.

Richard Barber, Mount Greenwood