Chicago, IL – 200 community activists met here June 13, to learn how civilian control of the police can curb police crimes in oppressed nationality communities. The event was organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which has been organizing to win an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC).

The public forum featured talks by activists with the Alliance, including Larry Redmond, Legal Counsel for the Alliance; Jeff Baker, a recent aldermanic candidate; Alma Montes of First Defense Legal Aid; Frank Chapman, Field Organizer; and Mike Elliot, chair of the Labor Committee. These speakers were joined by Howard Morgan, who was targeted for murder by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Martinez Sutton, brother of Rekia Boyd, who was murdered by CPD officer Dante Servin. Together they examined specific cases of police crimes to show how the cases would have been handled differently had CPAC been on the books, and how the cops could have been brought to justice.

One of the conference organizers, LaCreshia Birts, a co-chair for organizing with the Black Youth Project 100, said, “The turnout was good, and the forum was a success. Now we’ll have more activists who can join us in the work to organize a mass march on Aug. 29 to win CPAC.”

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