Agenda here:

President Driver calls the meeting to order. A quorum is met. The public comment period begins.

Alees Edwards is the first speaker. She is an 11th District Council member and supports the ending of pretextual traffic stops. She says that a member of her community was harassed and illegally searched after being stopped in front of their residence.

The next speaker is also in support of stopping pretextual traffic stops. She says this policy is used to target Black and Latinx neighborhoods and is a waste of resources.

Ald. La Spata (1) is the next speaker. He opposes pretextual traffic stops as well. He says that the policy leads to mistrust between police and the people they are supposed to protect.

Alexandra Block from the ACLU is the next speaker. She says that the data shows that pretextual traffic stops target Black and brown residents. She says that the policy is nothing more than racial profiling.

The next speaker says that pretextual traffic stops are nothing but a replacement for the illegal policy of stop and frisk. He says that reform of these policies is exactly what the CCPSA was created for.

The next speaker says that he has been hit by drivers 3 times while riding his bike. He says the police never responded. He says that police are busy stopping people for minor traffic violations instead.

The next speaker is Lee Bielecki, a retired CPD sergeant and 22nd district council member. He says that these traffic stops save lives and keeps guns off the streets.

The next speaker is Darrell Dacres, 20th district council member. He says he has been harassed by police for the majority of his life. He said that one time he was detained for 36 hours for what police called mistaken identity.

Multiple speakers are retelling their traumatic experiences with police during pretextual traffic stops. The behavior reported includes gun pointing, manhandling, yelling, and unnecessary arrests.

The next speaker is Dion McGill, the 7th police district councilor says that he wishes that CPD Superintendent Snelling was present for this meeting. He says that these traffic stops destroy the trust between communities and the police.

The public comment is now over. President Driver thanks everyone for their input.

The next item on the agenda is a panel discussion regarding pretextual traffic stops. Free2Move Coalition’s Joi Imobhio and Amy Thompson will speak on behalf of the petitioners. Chief Angel Novalez will deliver a statement from CPD.

Free2Move Coalition’s Joi Imobhio and Amy Thompson begin a presentation. She says data shows that minor traffic violations are the main reason for these stops. Meanwhile, CPD traffic stops have exploded. 80% of the stops have been Black and brown drivers.

Free2Move Coalition’s 3-part policy to curb CPD traffic stops.

Chief Angel Novalez delivers CPD’s statement. She says CPD wants traffic stops added to the consent decree. She says that CPD is developing additional training for traffic stops. She said at the “end of the day, this is about culture change and we didn't get here overnight.”

Dr. Frank Baumgartner, a professor from UNC delivers a presentation. He says legal justification for these stops started in the 80s. He says there is evidence that traffic stops occasionally save lives. He cites the arrest of the OKC bomber, Timothy McVeigh during a traffic stop.

But he says the vast majority of these stops lead to nothing. He says that this needle-in-a-haystack strategy doesn't keep the road or citizens safe.

Dr. Frank Baumgartner says that data in Fayetteville, NC showed that the stopping of pretextual traffic stops showed a decline in crime and an increase in people calling and trusting the police. He said that you need buy-in from law enforcement for change.

The next presenter is Rory Pulvino, director of analytics at Justice Innovation Lab. He says the costs of pretextual traffic stops outweigh the benefits.

Dr. JJ Naddeo shares data and charts that display no correlation between traffic stops and a decrease in crime or gun seizures.

The next presenter is John Choi, Ramsey County Attorney. He said he used to believe that these traffic stops were necessary but he says he has evolved due to data.

Policy entacted by the Ramsey County Attorney led to a 66% decrease in Black drivers being pulled over and it had no change on crime rates.

John Choi says that instead of issuing tickets in his county, they issue repair vouchers through a program called Lights On. The program helps drivers get their cars in compliance. He says the program has received great reviews from law enforcement and residents.

He says that the deaths of Philando Castile and George Floyd in Minnesota led him to look at reform efforts. He said he wanted the police to focus on real crime and clearance rates.

Charmin Leon is the next presenter. She is the co-director of Law Enforcement Initiatives at the Center for Policing Equity. She is also a former sergeant with Cleveland Police. She says reform of the pretextual traffic stops will keep police out of the courtroom & on the streets

She has traveled across the county testifying in state houses in support of legislation that seeks to deprioritize low-level infractions that disproportionately affect minority motorists. “More tickets does not equate to more safety”.

Leon says that these traffic stops lead to a financial burden on already financially stressed communities.

Max Carter-Oberstone is an attorney specializing in appellate litigation from San Francisco. He helped develop a policy that limited stops for certain traffic violations. He said these stops are a waste of resources and they do not result in the discovery of contraband.

President Driver thanks the audience and participants for their input in the meeting. He says he has been pulled over 4 times since April and that these interactions are not just an inconvenience. He calls the meeting to adjourn.

The City of Chicago Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability meeting ends at 8:32 p.m. This ends my coverage for @chidocumenters, find more information through Eli Gillespie’s notes at chicago.documenters.org