[in person] Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Criminal Justice
Public Safety
Thursday, May 29, 2025
6:30 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. CDT
1955 E 75th St Chicago, IL 60649 (Directions)
Southshore International College Prep
This is an in person meeting and an additional hour will be added to your total assignment hours.
The end time listed on this assignment is an estimation based on the duration of past meetings of this type.
A video recording of the meeting may be made available after the fact at https://www.youtube.com/@chicagoccpsa/videos.
Check the source website for additional information
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Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Live reporting by
Fabienne Elie
Right now CPD doesn't not a policy about when police are allowed to ask for a consent search. The commission is asking to set a legal standard where evidence ties the car or its contents to a crime.
Hi Everyone, I’ll be covering today's public meeting for the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) @CCPSA_Chicago scheduled to begin at 6:30pm. @CHIdocumenters #CHIDocumenters
06:16 PM May 29, 2025 CDT
Handouts detailing the search for the new COPA chief administrator were provided. Along with a one sheet summarizing the Traffic Stop policy development — they are lengthy and with narrow margins and include QRs for providing public feedback.
Today's meeting was held in person in the South Shore neighborhood. The room was large with many folded chairs arranged as though they expected a high turn out. At 6:30p folks are still trickling in and it seems most of the people in the room have some affiliation to CCPSA.
Executive Director Adam Gross and Commissioners Wortham, Driver Jr., Gottleib, Navarijo, and Piemonte are present. Terry and Minor were absent. Meeting called to order at 6:30 pm. We began with public comment.
First speaker Karen Kane thanked commissioners for their work, "more than the job description". She mentions proposed drafts for Traffic Safety discussed at the recent District Council meeting. She highlighted the disagreements from that meeting.
She presented a survey of over 1000 replies where ⅔ of respondents said they don't want any more restriction on police.
The second speaker thanked the Commissoin for coming to the South EAST side. "I've been begging for you all to come here." He raised concerned about police planting guns and asking that the pilot program takes care to pay attention to that.
Another speaker who referenced being a regular commission attendee. He specifically questioned Commissioner Driver's allegiance to police. He specifically spoke to the first speaker, emphasizing that she does not have direct experience with police misconduct. "Cowards."
The last speaker continue to address the commission past his time, insisting that the cops are criminal. The crowd murmured in agreement.
Virtual speaker questioned the traffic sagety recommendations from CCPSA. "They don't make sense... I don't think a lot of thought went into them." He emphasized the need to look into the alleged crime associated with the stop. He questioned the commissions education on policing.
Public comments concluded. Previous minutes were approved with 5 yes votes and one abstention from Commissioner Wortham. New business was to discuss Traffic Stops.
Two versions of a new policy, one from CCPSA and one from CPD, were submitted to the IL Attorney General. CCPSA plans to discuss the disagreements between these two versions of policy. Tonight the focus is Consent Searches.
In Illinois police offices have certain conditions under which they can search a car: a warrant or reasonable suspicion that their is some relevance to a crime. The only other way a search can happen is by consent.
Right now CPD doesn't not a policy about when police are allowed to ask for a consent search. The commission is asking to set a legal standard where evidence ties the car or its contents to a crime. Not an officer's suspicion.
The commissioners disagree on what the new legal standard should be. Some asking for a higher standard, others Probable Cause or Reasonable Suspicion which allows for inferences from facts.
The higher standard would require that the suspected associated crime would have to be class A misdemeanor or a felony.
Commissioner Gottlieb "Consent searches are a short cut around probable cause [...] they are also the most racially dispately used [...] They should be used rarely [...] we should prioritize true public safety issues."
He notes that the highest standard is the only standard which would not allow weed smell to be an allowable pretense to a search.
Comm. Driver reminds he has experienced pretextual traffic stops, however advocates for policy that will "stick" such as Reasonable Articulable Suspicion based on facts such as a description of an individual. He says doesn't believe we have authority over searches.
He emphasizes that he wants to tell people what we can actually do and he doesn't disagree with his colleagues on the merits. Comm. Navarijo piggybacks "we are down 1000 stops since last year [...] it's good to give constituents options for withdrawing their consent."
Gottleib chimed in to correct Navarijo, "both standards are investigatory stops" [...] "We disagree on what the truth is." Wortham speaks in favor of CPDs draft. She views police as a profession that requires tools to allow them to do their work.
She praises the new standard drafted by CPD where there was no policy before. She emphasized they are doing more than legally required of them. "This is ALL on body cam." She believes are chiseling away at their tools. "You are asking for consent. They can revoke it. " All on Cam
Comm. Piemonte agrees with Comm. Driver. She's witnessed others being stopped and "I believe there's a reason for that." She wants to start with the pre-textual stop. She says giving consent to search is not an equal dynamic. "This is a way around the law to investigate further"
She reminds that IL supreme court has ruled that marijuana smell is not enough for a stop or an arrest. Comm. Wortham emphasizes the facts that Traffic Stops are legal. The notion of a pretext is 'a state of mind and opinion.' Pretextual stops are not documented.
Comm. Piemonte responds, with snaps & claps of support from the crowd. "You CAN tell when it's pretextual." Her example is an expired plate leading to all occupants fo a car forced to vacate the car.
Commissioner Minor poses a question about 'Investigatory Stops' per CPD policy. It states an investigatory stop is not voluntary contact since there is no reasonable articulable suspicion. She questions how Comm. Driver can defend his standard.
Comm. Driver distinguishes between Reasonable Articulable Information (CPDs standard) which is an unclear standard, and Reasonable Articulable Suspicion which is well established. He admits he ultimately would accept CPDs standard.
Comm. Navarijo reminds that inviduals have recourse even if a consent search went wrong, such as supervisory reviews. And the policy states the commission will receive data and stay informed.
Comm. Terry is aligned with Driver. Policy needs to use legally understood terms and standards. "To keep things consistent and to keep things rooted in legal standing, reasonable suspicion & probable cause are what i endorse."
Comm. Gottlieb replies "Our policy has the exact same legal language just around more serious crimes." He emphasizes that this should be something they can come to agreement around.
Comm. Minor wants Comm. Driver to clarify his dispute over CCPSA's jurisdiction over investigatory stops. Comm Driver would like supporters of the higher standard to tell the public the path to actually enacting the higher standard. "I will change my position and agree with you"
Comm. Minor was corrected for potential disclosing the content of negotiations with the AG office and CPD. She agrees that the commission should cooperate with all parties. She reminds that consistency means using Class A Misdemeanors and felonies in the standard.
There were disagreements between Commissioners Minor and Commissioner Navarijo for mention of traffic stops that are under litigiation and cannot be discussed. Comm. Minor urged that this information was on the news and available to the public.
Comm. Driver poses again to the committee their plan to get this done. Comm. Gottlieb "No one on this stage can say with any certainty how what they're proposing can actually get done." They have to negotiate with the same bodies.
FInal 2 minutes left. Gottlieb "Nothing in our proposal says you can ONLY be stopped for class A or Felony crimes. Outside of the 6 excepts under discussion, you can conduct any stop."
Comm. Minor emphasizes that the point is smaller crimes should not escalate. 'Serious Crime' is not well defined. Class A misdemeanors and Felonies are. It requires officers must meet that standard.
Final comment on Traffic Stops from Comm. Terry. "I want to be very clear [...] CPD is not the only law authority in Chicago that pulls people over." She wants a standard based in legal standards for eventually applicability across all enforcement.
Final 40 minutes of the meeting are set aside for the issue of selecting the next COPA chief administrator. Comm. Driver reads through the criteria as written on the handout (posted in tweet 2 of this thread.)
Final listening session asking for public feedback on the criteria for this search will take place on June 12. chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…
chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…
Comm. Terry presents background on the concern re: extremism within CPD and the larger City workforce. The Commission has updated CPDs policy to prohibit association with these extreme groups. The Commission has pushed for updates on the taskforce that they are to be a part of.
The taskforce (recommended by OIG) convened in January with Comm. Minor representing CCPSA. Questions were posed to CPDs Bureau of Internal Investigations such as asking about their limitations and the nature of issues they handle.
Comm. Minor provides an update on CPD goals. Follow up on CPD Q1 deliverables & progress. These include intervention support programs and victim services supports and mental health services for officers. These initiatives are data drive and collaborating with UChicago crime lab.
Comm. Navarijo updates us on the Non Citizen Advisory Council. Noting that because CPD needs to ceritfy crimes that allow individuals to qualify for T and U visas (such as human trafficking), they play a crucial role in their residential status.
Comm. Driver moves to adjourn. Comm. Minor has a update regarding the 'Snap Curfew' policy in discussion which she and several commissioners oppose this policy. Comm. Wortham urges that with Nat'l Police Week being in May, shes we take the time to honor them.
Sincere apologies for the various typos and grammatical errors in my reporting! The Commissioners speak extremely quickly about complex issues and I appreciate your patience with me while I try to keep up!
Agency Information
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
In July 2021, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance creating a new model for police oversight, accountability, and public safety. The ordinance creates two types of bodies: a citywide Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, with power to advance systemic reform, and District Councils, which will be elected in each police district and work to improve policing and public safety in the district. The Commission and District Councils will bring police officers and Chicago residents together to plan, prioritize, and build mutual trust; strengthen the police accountability system; give Chicagoans a meaningful new role in oversight; and explore and advance alternative effective approaches to public safety.
Additional context:
- Dec. 20, 2021, issue of the Newswire newsletter with a timeline of events leading up to the establishment of CCPSA
- List of CCPSA members
- CCPSA bylaws
- Chicago Cityscape map of police districts