Local

Cook County Commissioner Gainer Calls for Hearing to Review Training/Evaluation of Cook County Staff in Response to Recent Incident at Caldwell Woods and Fatal Car Crash


Forest Preserves of Cook CountyCHICAGO—(ENEWSPF)—July 12, 2018
By: Marty Malone

Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer is calling a public hearing of the Cook County Board of Commissioners to discuss the June 14 racially-charged incident at the Cook County Forest Preserves’ Caldwell Woods and a fatal car crash.

Gainer is calling the hearing to review the training and evaluation of all employees and to hear testimony from residents of the County regarding the incident.

“Cook County is a welcoming county, and this type of bigotry has no home here,” Gainer said. “It is vital that all Cook County employees, especially our sworn officers, feel that they have been trained to both evaluate and react appropriately in situations of racism, bigotry or general displays of hatred.”

On June 14, 2018, an incident occurred and was caught on video at the Cook County Forest Preserves’ Caldwell Woods where a man continually harassed a woman while a nearby Forest Preserve Police Officer seemingly ignored her calls for help. An investigation into the response of the officer was launched the same day the incident occurred.

Equally so, County employees should be an asset to the residents of Cook County, not a danger. The June 30th incident of a Forest Preserve employee driving under the influence of drugs resulting in the death of Giuseppe Gazzano.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners have requested Superintendent of the Forest Preserve Arnold Randall and Forest Preserve Police Chief Kelvin Pope attend the hearing to address the incident.

Source: www.cookcountyil.gov


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