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CPD’s Interactions with Youth: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Updated: Apr 28, 2021


Photo credit: Kyle Green

I am not from Chicago. In fact, I am not from Illinois. I am from Los Angeles, California. Since I moved to Chicago 1.5 years ago I have heard nothing but negatives regarding CPD and its practices. I did some research and found that, while the Police Department of Chicago has a largely negative history, there may be promising initiatives currently used between the police department and youth of Chicago. Following, I briefly explore a potential positive step being taken in CPD practices as well as negative trends.


Positive:


As recently as 2018, After School Matters (ASM) and CPD partnered up to allow police to participate with Chicago youth in educational as well as extra-curricular projects. Called Bridging the Divide, the program fostered greater trust between Black and Latinx youth and Chicago police.

  • Initiatives such as Bridging the Divide are important in humanizing officers of the Chicago Police for the youth of the city. CPD should further partner with other non-governmental organizations in the pursuit of mutual understanding.


Photo credit: Peter Cihelka

Negative:


This is not to suggest that CPD is flawless. A study conducted by Craig Futterman, Law Professor at University of Chicago, found that CPD protects abusive officers, this lessening trust in the institution, particularly among youth. If there is no punishment for offending officers, trust in the polices takes a dive. Indeed, a 2017 report issued by the Department of Justice found civil rights violations carried out by CPD




Photo credit: Andrzej Mucka

Stop and Frisk: Until 2016, CPD stopped and patted down people if they have a “reasonable suspicion” someone has engaged in or will engage in criminal activity. ACLU findings discovered the policy as practiced in Chicago disproportionately affected people of color.

  • As practiced, stop and frisks violate the Constitution’s guard against unreasonable searches and seizures. Stopping people largely based on the color of their skin is unjust. As Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

In a case last year, Chicago PD handcuffed an 8-year-old for 30 minutes when they raided his home over concerns there were guns in the house. Such instances decrease trust in CPD among youth.

  • Children should not be placed in handcuffs, particularly for infractions that have nothing to do with them. Such instances as that above will only increase the divide between youth and those who are supposedly there to protect.

Photo credit: Devin Avery

Assistance


Local Chicago organizations are stepping up to provide assistance when facing police-related violence. Among others:



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