Growing up here all my life, it is quite apparent that Chicago has some of the most toxic community-police relationships in the U.S. There have been countless scandals surrounding the CPD, and the conduct of it's officers, particularly concerning racial bias and fear-based action. 

The Department of Justice recently found that the CPD has continually violated the unalienable rights of Chicago citizens and allowed racism to grow like the weed that it is within the CPD. Witnesses are dismissed or never interviewed, dash cam videotapes are hidden for years after a suspicious shooting, and Chicago police officers often lack proper training to know how to interact with people of all races during times of crisis or panic. 

Many of the kids I go to high school with, including myself, have lost the level of trust that we should, in theory, have for the police. By bettering these relationships we can make the city safer and more comfortable for all people. We can return justice to our streets, and begin to alleviate the fear of police so deeply ingrained in the hearts of many Chicago citizens.

In order to reach this goal of safer streets and respectful relationships, we want to implement new policies targeting the root of such issues in the CPD. This includes introducing police officers into elementary schools, fostering relationships between the young kids in the community and the police officers, and improving police training. This training would include education about internalized racism, when to shoot, how to respond to people in crisis, how to check bias, and understanding the difference between fear-based reactions and thought-out responses. 

Despite recent surveys and recommendations to take these actions, the CPD has failed to remain accountable and carry out such proposed plans. By signing this petition you are pushing the Chicago Police Department to take these next steps in fixing this broken system.