Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus Supports the (ECPS) Ordinance
Contact: Allyson Scrutchens- 312-391-7221
The City of Chicago’s Aldermanic Black Caucus (CABC) voted to officially support the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance, with the goal of assisting in creation of the strongest and most democratic police accountability system in the country. In doing so, CABC joins the Progressive Reform Caucus, the Latino Caucus, and the Socialist Caucus- all of which have publicly endorsed ECPS and voiced their demand for this historic change.
After decades of needing to address systemic Chicago Police Department issues that have directly affected Black and Brown citizens, CABC supports this ordinance. Our position and support of the ECPS ordinance places Chicago on the verge of fundamentally transforming a broken policing system.
The Empowering Communities for Public Safety coalition is comprised of the broadest coalition of community organizations, labor unions, faith leaders and residents in Chicago who have been at the forefront of reforming police accountability in Chicago – including the campaign for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) and the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA). After spending weeks crafting a united ordinance that took elements from both the CPAC and GAPA bills to create a transformative vision for democratic police accountability, the campaign publicly announced the ECPS ordinance on March 19, 2021.
Since then, the coalition has been meeting with council members and City Council caucuses to explain how ECPS will transform police accountability, by placing communities and community-centered decision-making at the heart of public safety.
Speaking about the Black Caucus’ historic vote, Alderman Roderick Sawyer said, “My colleagues and I in the Black Caucus know that the Empowering Communities for Public Safety ordinance is what Chicago needs now. We cannot wait any longer for change. As a coalition of city council members, legal experts, community organizations and residents, we have thoroughly examined the issue of police accountability in Chicago and created the right solution for the right time. ECPS is what we’ve been waiting for, the wait is over. It’s time to pass this bill.”
GAPA spokesperson Desmon Yancy, an organizer with the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), said “The City Council and the city of Chicago are on our side. We came together as a city and we’re ready with our ordinance.”
With the number of Aldermen who support ECPS surpassing a majority in City Council and continuing to climb, the united coalition expects that a hearing and a vote on the ECPS ordinance will be scheduled soon; and there will be a victory for the people of Chicago and their right to democratic oversight.
# # #