CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago police will no longer be able to chase people on foot simply because they fled or committed a petty crime, the department said Tuesday, more than a year after the two -foot chase took place. hunting agents. A 13 year old boy and a 22 year old boy.
The new policy closely follows the draft policy Implements after these hunts and gives the department something it has never experienced: consistent rules on when agents can and should not engage in activities that may endanger themselves, those who follow them and the visitors.
Chicago police officer David Brown said he hopes the new policy will make it safer for officers and the public, as has happened in other cities with similar policies.
“The impact on crime has been explored (and) we can go back to what has made officers safer, communities safer for more than a decade,” he told reporters at a news conference on the expected policy. niya. At the end of the summer, then all the officers get used to it.
According to the policy, Officers can be prosecuted if they believe a person is committing or intending to commit a crime, a class A offense such as a domestic battery or a serious traffic violation that could cause harm to others. , such as drunk driving or street racing.
Officers will not be able to chase pedestrians if they are suspected of minor violations such as parking violations, driving suspensions or drinking in public. But they will still have the power to prosecute people they determine have committed or intend to commit a crime that poses an “obvious threat to any person”.
Perhaps more importantly, the policy shows that the days of prosecuting officers just because someone tried to evade them are over.
“People may avoid contact with a member for a variety of reasons other than involvement in criminal activity,” the policy states.
The names of 13-year-old teenager Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Antonio Alvarez, who were armed when they fled from police in a separate chase in March 2021 were not mentioned in a press release that policy announcement or the policy itself. But these aspirations – especially Alvarez’s – cast a shadow on politics.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot asked the department to adopt an interim policy after the shooting, and the nation’s chief prosecutor strongly criticized police for prosecuting Alvarez. It also appears that the police department has banned the pursuit of such a foot.
According to the policy, the prosecution of Alvarez appears to be not allowed for two main reasons. First, when the police chased him for a traffic violation, he knew who he was and where he lived. Cook County Attorney Kim Fox told reporters in March when he said the officers involved in the two shootings would not be charged. Second, officers are no longer allowed to pursue pedestrians suspected of a minor offense that led to the accusation.
The policy covers many instances where an agent must terminate an accusation, including the need to terminate the prosecution if a third party is injured and requires emergency medical care that no one can afford. If agents realize that they are not exactly where they are, which is possible in a chaotic situation when running into alleys and houses, they should stop. And if they are unable to talk to other agents because of the hijacking of radio stations or for other reasons, they should stop.
The policy also includes reminding officers that they or their supervisors will not be criticized or punished for kicking or denial, which is important for a law professor who has studied in the department and been a member of the legal team. Those who have successfully fought in the city for refusing to post a video of police footage said it can’t be too much to say.
“How can you change the culture of following bad people, no matter what happens, no matter how dangerous it is for everyone around you?” This is what University of Chicago law professor Craig Futerman said. “You make a policy that makes it impossible for you to regulate, chew, criticize for following a policy and taking major dangerous actions.”
Officers are also prohibited from causing persecution, such as using tactics in which they rush a group of people into their team’s vehicles, stop and suddenly jump “with the intent to stop any escape within group. “
Five years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice released a scathing report saying excessive police harassment in the city was unnecessary or resulted in officers shooting people whose shooting was unnecessary. And three years ago, a judge signed a consent order that included a foot pursuit policy.
The city also has ample evidence of prosecution risks, including the Chicago Tribune The investigation found that one-third of city police shootings from 2010 to 2015 involved assaulting or killing someone while chasing them.
Police officials have denied any foot -dragging allegations, saying the department is meeting deadlines.
But Chicago has not received a leader in the matter, with other major cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon already pursuing a foot pursuit policy, and Futterman said the department opposes lawsuits for years, even though he knew how dangerous it was. be. . .
However, he praised the department.
“Lives are lost and having one (the foot chase policy) and having a tooth … will save lives,” he said.
Source: Huffpost
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.