9th District Council Meetings Focus on Migrants, Police Governance

Recent meetings of Chicago’s 9th District Police Council brought together residents, police officials and elected 9th District representatives to learn how police councils will help qualify new police commission members and discuss the urgent situation with migrants at the 9th District police station.

At the August 30, 2023, police council meeting in the Canaryville neighborhood, residents expressed concerns about migrants residing in police stations.

“Illegal immigrants at cop shops have got to go,” said Tom Russell. “You can’t even go into the police station.”

11th Ward Alderwoman Nicole Lee speaks at the September 27, 2023, meeting of the 9th District Police Council.Some immigrants seeking asylum to live here legally have been housed at district police stations, including the 9th District station at 3120 S. Halsted St., Chicago, that serves the McKinley Park neighborhood. City officials have been looking for other venues to house them, but often citizens oppose moving migrants to those locations as well.

200 Migrants on Floor

At the September 27, 2023, meeting of the 9th District Police Council held in the Chinatown neighborhood, Erin Vogel, a 9th District Council member and the council community engagement coordinator, said the council has been working with local mutual aid groups to address the needs of immigrants seeking asylum who are sleeping in city police district buildings.

About 200 immigrants have been sleeping on the floor of the 9th Police District station, she said.

11th Ward Donation Center

“We’re hoping to reduce the burden on officers by working with mutual aid groups,” Vogel said.

Alderwoman Nicole Lee announced that her 11th Ward office at 3659 S. Halsted St., Chicago, is serving as a donation center for migrants, where donors can drop off desperately needed items during normal business hours. High priorities include winter coats and outerwear, new or gently used men’s and kid’s clothes, luggage, new underwear, and diapers, formula and baby wipes.

Beat 914 facilitator Chris Javier speaks at the September 27, 2023, meeting of the 9th District Police Council.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has asked President Joe Biden for money to house the migrants. Currently there are 16 temporary migrant shelters in hotels, vacant buildings, closed schools and park district facilities.

Brighton Park Housing Meeting

Johnson also recently announced a plan to build heated “tent cities” to move migrants out of police stations for the winter, with a vacant lot at West 38th Street and South California Avenue identified as a prospective site. 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez is hosting a community meeting about the migrant site at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at Thomas Kelly High School, 4136 S. California Ave., Chicago.

“Through the city council, we want to operate and build the infrastructure that creates a truly welcoming city for those seeking asylum,” Ramirez said. “Our new neighbors are asylum seekers, and as a sanctuary city we want to continue extending our support.”

No Advance Warning

Carol Mangin speaks at the 9th District Police Council meeting on August 30, 2023.While 21 out of the 22 police stations are being utilized, 18 new arrival shelters further help support asylum seekers' transition process, she said. “Very soon, the city will implement their new shelter safety plan that will house our new neighbors outside of the police stations.”

In a letter posted to social media, Ramirez said neither she nor the 12th Ward were informed in advance of the City of Chicago’s decision to consider site at 38th and California as a migrant tent site.

New Commission Members

On the same day of the Chinatown 9th District Police Council meeting, the Chicago City Council unanimously ratified the appointment of new Police Supt. Larry Snelling. At the meeting, the council met with the goal of strengthening the police accountability system and “exploring and advancing alternative effective approaches to public safety,” Lee said.

Carlos Velasquez speaks at the September 30, 2023, meeting of the 9th District Police Council.Anthony Driver, the president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCSPA), which vetted and recommended three superintendent candidates for Mayor Brandon Johnson, spoke at the Chinatown meeting and noted that seven new commission members would be appointed by April 2024.

Upcoming Chinatown Meeting

The district councils play a role in vetting commission nominees: Denise McBroom, a 9th District council member, serves on the CCPSA nominating committee, which reviews candidates for the commission.

Driver said he wants the Chinatown community to host one CCPSA meeting in the coming months. The council meeting in Chinatown was simultaneously translated into Chinese, with approximately 35 Asian-American neighbors in attendance.

Chinese Language Barrier

Chris Javier, the facilitator for Beat 914, which encompasses Chinatown, noted that language is a barrier to get Asian-American neighbors to attend community policing meetings.

Jimmy Burns attends and advocates at the 9th District Police Council meeting on August 30, 2023.Community members get frustrated when a criminal is caught and charged, but gets released with a slap on the wrist by the judicial system, Javier said.

“Hope and trust are going away,” he said. “We need more transparency. We want police and the courts to report back about what happens in court.”

Next Council Meeting Oct. 25

To help overcome the language barrier, Lee said she had the 11th Ward ask Snelling to assign Chinese language-speaking officers in Chinatown. Snelling agreed, she said, adding that “we also need to focus on the victims of crime.”

The next meeting of the 9th District Police Council is from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at Saint Gabriel Catholic School, 4500 S. Wallace St., Chicago.