Legal Commentary

Complaints Against Chicago Police Are No Surprise

By TChris

Whether allegations of police misconduct during a raid -- including claims that several women were stripped searched in front of male officers and that officers "stole cash from a safe and coin-operated video games" -- are true, they beg the question: Why did the raid occur?

Police confirm they began the raid with a flash grenade, and that it happened at 11:30 p.m. May 30, 2008 .... That night, just over 20 people were attending a party inside the La Familia Motorcycle Social Club, 2500 W. Fullerton, and the department says the officers, wearing body armor and wielding assault weapons, were responding to a tip that illegal drugs were being used or sold there.

Does the war on drugs necessitate that level of force at a private party? All because of a tip? What's the point? [more ...]

Take a look at the video in the linked article. Imagine how terrified you would be if you were there and saw police barging in after an explosion, wearing body armor and wielding assault rifles. When the Chicago police declare "war" on drugs, they mean it. Do we want this senseless war to continue?

Yes, the "social club" is a gang. Yes, the police allege that they found drugs and weapons, although if that's true it's surprising that they only arrested two people: one for reckless conduct, and one on an outstanding warrant. The facts are in dispute, and the dispute can be settled by a jury. None of that changes the fundamental question: Is the war on drugs so important that the tactics of warfare are justified?

Police misconduct claims in Chicago are common; hundreds are filed every month. The Independent Police Review Authority, created to replace the ineffective Office of Professional Standards, hasn't necessarily improved the policing of the police.

[W]hile the agency's director Ilana Rosenzweig promised a finding within six months of an allegation, several high-profile cases, including the police shooting deaths of Aaron Harrison last summer and Freddie Wilson last fall, still have not been resolved. ... An IPRA spokesman said the agency still has not hired enough investigators to handle its large caseload.

If Chicago police used better judgment about the need to conduct armed assaults, they would likely improve their troubled relationship with the community they serve.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 14, 2008 (boomark / email).