CHICAGO—(ENEWSPF)—April 18, 2013.
Who: Victims of police crimes and their families, and People from communities across the city
What: People’s March for Peace With Justice
When: Noon, Wednesday, August 28, the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Where: Kick off at Federal Plaza, Adams and Dearborn March to City Hall and Rally at Daley Plaza
Why: because the people are fed up, and demand an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council in Chicago
On Feb. 23, 2013, over 200 people – families of victims of police murder and torture – met at the University of Chicago at the 2nd People’s Hearing on Police Crimes. These hearings have launched a campaign this Spring and Summer to get legislation passed by the City Council establishing an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC). The campaign will include a March on City Hall on August 28, 2013, the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King. CPAC will replace the current Police Board and the Independent Police Review Authority and have power to set the rules and regulations, appoint the Police Superintendent, and initiate prosecution of police officers charged with crimes against civilians[i].
In the last four years Chicago police have killed 63 people and shot another 153. This violence was perpetrated against 172 African Americans and 27 Latinos[ii]. Not a single police officer has been charged or disciplined for any of these crimes by the Police Board or the State’s Attorney.
In these same four years 1,836 people have been murdered in Chicago[iii]. The police and the State’s Attorney seem powerless to do anything about this. They have solved very few of these crimes and they often get the wrong person. Police have beat false confessions from hundreds of Black and Latino men and sent them to prison for serious crimes, including murders that they did not commit.
The city admits that Rekia Boyd and Flint Farmer were murdered by the Police. They admit that many police torture victims have wrongfully spent decades in prison. Yet, not a single CPD officer has ever been charged with any of these crimes. Most are still on the force, or are retired and collecting their pensions.
[i] For a summary and complete text of the proposed legislation go to www.StopPoliceCrimes.com.
[ii] Official reports on police shootings 2009 – 2012 by the Chicago Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA).
[iii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Chicago#Homicides_in_Chicago_by_year
