Lack of Communication Between the Citizens of Chicago and the Police Department.
Chicago—(ENEWSPF)—August 17, 2014. On Wednesday, August 20th at 1pm outside the Mayor’s office on the 5th floor of City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle Street, mayoral candidate Frederick Collins will join community member Keyia Mandeldove and her fiance, Akula L. Segal, who were handcuffed and detained in Garfield Park park for video taping police with a cellphone, despite an Illinois Supreme Court decision (PDF) striking down the state’s restrictive eavesdropping laws.
Part of the incident was caught on video, uploaded to youtube, and posted by the Photography is not a Crime blog. The video has received over 42,000 views and 240 comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0BS0vbtsWk
Mandeldove says this incident is just one example of an ongoing pattern of police harassment and intimidation in Garfield Park. “This park is our home, the safest part of our community, yet the police regularly sweep people out of here for the night from 7pm to 9pm.” she says. “These are grown, working people enjoying the park in the evening who pick up and start running when they hear the police are moving in. The way police treat people in our community is intolerable and needs to stop. By targeting us, instead of working with us, Chicago police are making violence worse in Garfield Park.”
Frederick Collins, who is running for Mayor of Chicago, stated, “It is unacceptable for any U.S. citizen to be denied their constitutional and civil rights by any branch of government simply for asking a question.” Frederick Collins is a Chicago police officer and community activist who advocates for sensitivity and diversity training for law enforcement professionals to improve community relations with the police.
Mandeldove is a Chicago business woman who has provided complimentary massage therapy services to teachers at over 70 Chicago Public Schools and who also runs a not-for-profit entertainment company, the Entertainment Institute, that has worked with thousands of local artists. She says she set up her massage chair in Garfield Park on August 8th, 2014 to provide a free service and to spread awareness of the benefits of massage to a community under stress.
On August 8th, Mandeldove and Segal were enjoying a late summer afternoon in Garfield Park. Word went out that the police would be moving in to sweep everyone out – a regular occurrence in Garfield Park. The pair saw the police cars headed in and asked the CPD Lieutenant on the scene why the park was being closed early and when a CAP meeting would be held to address the concerns of community residents who use the park. Segal began filming the conversation on his cell phone.
As more officers and police vehicles moved into the park, Segal’s phone was snatched by a female officer who began recording the scene with her own cellphone, as is shown in the video. Both Mandeldove and Segal were handcuffed and detained. After being bullied and threatened with arrest, during which a ticket was written and then torn up by police, the pair were released after accepting a contact card. There were both a CPD Lieutenant and a Sargent present, in addition to numerous officers.
Video, screen shots and original blog post about the incident: http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2014/08/08/chicago-cop-snatches-camera-handcuffs-man-recording-without-permission/Additional posts about the incident:
News Asylum: http://newsasylum.com/female-chicago-police-officer-snatches-mans-camera-in-garfield-park/
Live Leak: http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=chicago+police+snatches+camera
Chicagoist: http://chicagoist.com/2014/08/09/watch_chicago_police_officer_harass.php
The Free Thought Project: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/wait-it-wait-it-long-thug-cop-trampling-rights/
Cop Block: https://www.facebook.com/copblockchicagoillinois
East Garfield Park Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/300919189405/10152661356569406/?comment_id=10152661965304406¬if_t=like
God Like Productions: http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message2614493/pg1
Locker Dome: http://lockerdome.com/6267103435045953/6864879368933652
