CITY HALL — Aldermen submitted an ordinance Wednesday intended to end what they said is racial profiling by the Chicago Police Department.
Calling it a "crucial ordinance," lead sponsor Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) urged support for what would become the Stop, Transparency, Oversight and Protection Act. The measure would call on the police department to keep records of all "stop and frisk" incidents along with the race of the person stopped, and would also require police to give receipts to anyone stopped and not arrested.
Aldermen insisted it was not intended to burden police officers, but instead would gather data to ensure police do not engage in "racial profiling," according to Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th).
Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) called it "a common-sense ordinance," adding, "It also, quite frankly, helps the police."
Moreno was moved to submit the ordinance by a March study conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois showing that "stop and frisk" is "disproportionately concentrated in the black community."
The People's Law Office joined the ACLU in supporting the proposal.
"Where I'm from, we say we need less policing in our communities," said Malcolm London, an activist with the group We Charge Genocide. He called for "a serious conversation about what policing looks like."
Minority youths are being "harassed," Moreno charged, "and that's wrong."
Moreno urged city residents to pressure their aldermen to support the ordinance.
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