NORWOOD PARK — Far Northwest Side residents can have a cup of joe Friday morning with officers from the Jefferson Park (16th) Police District as part of an event designed to break down barriers between the police and those they serve, organizers said.
The event, hosted by the Jefferson Park Police District's community policing office, will take place from 7 to 9 a.m. Friday at Dunkin Donuts, 6342 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Attendees will get an opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the officers in their neighborhood, organizers said.
The event is part of the department's effort to rebuild trust with Chicago residents a year after white-hot criticism engulfed Chicago police in the wake of the release of a dashcam video showing a police officer fatally shoot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times.
U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon has blamed the spike in Chicago's murder rate, in part, on a "drag" on Police Department morale following the release of the McDonald video late last year that prompted widespread, but largely peaceful, protests.
The McDonald shooting also sparked a Federal Justice Department review of Chicago Police practices, which is ongoing.
Fardon also said the adoption of a detailed two-page "contact card" for all police stops has led officers to be more reactive than proactive and to make fewer stops — which contributed directly to this year's 40 percent increase in murders and 50 percent increase in shootings.
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