Disturbing lowlights from the contentious first meeting of the Chicago Police Department's 9th District Council on May 31, 2023, led the discussion during the council's second meeting in June.
“If you act up, you will be thrown out,” 9th District Police Council Chair Carlos Sanchez said at the new community policing group’s second meeting on June 28, 2023.
A number of attendees at the second meeting and all three newly elected district council members — Sanchez, Denise McBroom and Erin Vogel — noted the belligerent tone and lack of decorum at the council’s first meeting, at which commenters were shouted down or booed.
Harassed on the Street
“I was disappointed at the lack of decorum,” said Bridgeport neighborhood resident Nick Boyle.
Mimi Guiracocha, also of Bridgeport, told attendees that the tone of the first meeting discouraged her from commenting. As she left the first meeting, Guiracocha said she was called names and harassed on the street.
Community Comments
The second meeting attracted a respectful and appreciative crowd of more than 150 people, many of them Latino residents. Some Spanish language translation was supported, and commenter Annie Jacobs of Bridgeport stressed the need for translation services at future meetings.
Because a planned speaker on the subject of the Chicago Police Department’s consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice did not attend, the meeting consisted of audience comments only.
Resident Voices
“Violence in Back of the Yards is horrible,” one commenter said. Another noted two recent shootings in Brighton Park, including one she said occurred earlier on the day of the meeting.
Attendee Kevin Milley noted the “terrible” response to a recent domestic violence call, at which police never got out of their vehicle to speak to the victim, he said.
Bridgeport resident Froy Jimenez, a Chicago Public Schools civics teacher, expressed his concern about police officers working special events and holiday weekends with no days off.
Farewell to Jason Sollis
Sanchez said all issues raised by residents would be taken to new Chicago Police Department 9th District Acting Commander Curtis Mullenix.
Vogel noted that long-serving 9th District community policing Officer Jason Sollis has accepted another job in the department. Vogel thanked Sollis for his good work and wished him well.
New District Police Councils
The next meeting of the 9th District Council is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the Armour Square Park field house, 3309 S. Shields Ave., Chicago.The new 9th District Police Council is part of a newly implemented program that has residents electing representatives to take issues to and assist with community relations for the Chicago Police Department. According to the City of Chicago, the district councils across the city have several key roles:
- Building stronger connections between the police and the community at the district level, to work together to solve problems and set priorities.
- Collaborating on development and implementation of community policing initiatives.
- Holding monthly public meetings where residents can work with the police on local initiatives, address concerns about policing in the district and increase accountability.
- Working with the community to get input on police department policies and practices.
- Working to develop and expand restorative justice programs in the district.
- Ensuring that the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability gets input from the community so it can focus on true community concerns.
- Nominating members to serve on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which takes a role in selecting police leaders, setting department policies, reviewing budgets and establishing goals for progress.
Safe Spaces for Advocacy
“I would like to see the district councils create safe spaces for residents in the 9th District to share their concerns and their experiences as it pertains to safety,” said 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez, who attended the meeting.
“Through these meetings, I believe we will find a trend of places and types of incidents that occur within our communities,” she said. “This can be a space to organize residents to best advocate for the long-term investments in our areas.”
Contact Council Members
9th District Police Council members were elected to their roles in the February 28, 2023, Chicago municipal election :
- Carlos Sanchez, 9th District Police Council chair
- Denise McBroom, 9th District Police Council nominating committee chair
- Erin Vogel, 9th District Police Council community engagement coordinator
The next meeting of the Chicago Police Department 9th District Police Council is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the Armour Square Park field house, 3309 S. Shields Ave., Chicago.
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