Chicago Police Must Face ‘Hard Truths’ about Racist Past, Task Force Draft Report Says

Articles | April 20 2016
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By Jeff Coen and Stacy St. Clair

The Chicago Police Department must acknowledge its racist history and overhaul its handling of excessive force allegations before true reforms can take place, according to a scathing draft report from the task force established by Mayor Rahm Emanuel following public unrest over the Laquan McDonald video.

The Police Accountability Task Force’s report — which is scheduled to be released as early as this week — blisters both the Police Department and its primary oversight agency, blaming them for a “broken” system rooted in racial bias and indifference. It also targets the collective bargaining agreements between the city and police union for turning the “code of silence into official policy,” according to a draft of the executive summary obtained by the Tribune.