Civilian Oversight of Police Passes City Council — No Thanks to Alderperson Nugent
39th Ward Neighbors United celebrates the passage of Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS), an ordinance for civilian oversight of the police in Chicago, but we are profoundly disappointed that 39th Ward Alderperson Samantha Nugent voted against the ordinance. Despite Ald. Nugent’s apparent disinterest in standing up for and being accountable to her constituents, we will continue working to build a community where safety is created by meeting the needs of the people, not by policing them.
ECPS was the result of decades of grassroots organizing and coalition-building among residents of Chicago, particularly black and brown communities who have been the primary targets and victims of police brutality in our city and the entire United States. We applaud the tremendous work of these organizers and we were proud to support this effort. The final ordinance was also the result of obstruction from the Mayor and a number of Alderpeople unwilling to allow Chicago residents to exercise democracy by voting in a referendum that would have granted more direct authority to the civilian oversight commission.
Despite the compromises made to win her support, Ald. Nugent still voted against the ordinance and sided with Alderpeople who claimed no additional oversight of the police is needed and who have a long track record of supporting racist policing practices. Ald. Nugent herself did not speak at all during the City Council debate, nor did she speak during the Public Safety Committee meeting the day before. She also refused to meet with 39th Ward Neighbors United to discuss the ordinance and denied a request to share real numbers about how many community members called her office in support of ECPS.
Perhaps she is hoping that her silence will shield her from accountability. But her vote against the ordinance speaks volumes and we will not forget it.
The passage of ECPS was an important victory for the city of Chicago and we look forward to working with our neighbors and coalition partners to keep building from here. A safe Chicago also requires addressing the root causes of crime and violence by paying workers a thriving wage, increasing funding for mental health services, affordable housing, and other evidence-based approaches that exist outside the institution of policing. Ald. Nugent has shown us that she is not on our side but we will continue to push forward with our vision for thriving communities in the 39th Ward and beyond. We invite you to join us in this fight.
Read the text of ECPS (Empowering Communities for Public Safety) Act
Explanation of ECPS from CAARPR (Chicago Alliance against Racist and Political Repression)
