Police are decidedly absent from public schools in the 43rd Ward, which demonstrates that Michele Smith fundamentally understands that police have no place in a quality education, yet she will not support calls for Police Free Schools.

Demand that Michele Smith co-sponsor Ordinance O2020-3331 which calls to terminate the intergovernmental agreement with the Chicago Board of Education concerning stationing of Chicago police officers at Chicago Public Schools locations. According to the ordinance: "Every school day this agreement is in place, at least 180 uniformed Chicago Police officers are in 76 Chicago public schools carrying 2 loaded guns and 4 magazines of 15 bullets, 1 canister of pepper spray, 1 taser and 2 taser cartridges, 1 expandable baton, and 1 pair of handcuffs each; and...even if unarmed, a police officer's body weight has proven to be lethal...[The] Chicago police officers stationed in schools have amassed at least 2,354 misconduct complaints." These conditions have led to the criminalization, mass incarceration, harassment, death, and egregious use of force against Brown and predominantly Black students in systemically underfunded schools.

Ward 43 is filled with Black Lives Matter signs in our yards and windows because all Black lives matter. For the 43rd Ward to be anti-racist, we must take tangible action and support the activists and lawmakers who have created anti-racist policies. Demand that Michele Smith co-sponsor this ordinance to remove police from CPS.