>> Tonight we kick off a yearlong reporting project examining police in policing in Chicago.

What's being done to repair police community relations and what progress is being made on meeting the goals of the consent decree.

That is the legal agreement to implement police department reforms.

This reporting initiative is supported by the Joyce Foundation and we kick off our coverage tonight with Nick Lumber.

Nick.

>> For the first time in 15 months, a key City council panel held a hearing into the Chicago Police Department's efforts to comply with a federal court order requiring it.

But there was no sign any urgency surrounds the reform effort.

Our Heather Sharon joins us now with more on the slow moving and costly effort.

Now, Heather, the consent decree took effect more than 6 years ago, but by the end of 2024, CPD was fully in compliance with just 16% of the requirements.

Why has progress been so slow?

Well, consent decrees are complicated, legally binding agreements.

>> And they're assigned to take a three-step process to ensure systemic problems are educated and don't reoccur.

So that is definitely part of the issue.

But the other part of the issue is, is that it hasn't really got into the heart of the really designed to do 3 things.

One set up a system for police officers to partner with Chicagoans to fight crime, create a system to flag officers who've been accused of misconduct or who are otherwise struggling and figure out if officers are deployed effectively and efficiently.

None of those trees.

Things have happened yet.

Yes, certainly a big lift there.

Now back in 2020 city council passed an ordinance requiring the public safety committing to have regular hearings about CDs, progress with getting in compliance with the consent decree.

But up until a few days ago, the last hearing had taken place since February of 2020.

24, why?

I haven't really gotten any good answers about that.

To be honest.

Reese, until recently, there was not a lot of good news to talk about with the consent decree up until the last 6 months of 2024.

Under Superintendent Larry Snelling in Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Progress only inched up a couple of percentage point every 6 months.

So now this hearing had some good news talk about, although there are plenty of reasons to be concerned.

So in March, she reported that there were more than 250 positions in the police department charged.

>> With implementing the consent decree that were sitting vacant.

Has the PD made any progress and filling those jobs?

Well, the new executive director of CPD Use Office of Constitutional Reform told older people about 50 of those positions have been filled.

>> However, CPD has yet to respond as required by state law to a Freedom of Information Act that I filed seeking the specific designations for each of the positions charged with implementing the consent decree that would allow us here at W T Tw News to use the city database to track precisely which positions of for are vacant and how long we're still hoping they'll comply with that request.

Yeah, something I can imagine you're very eager to see as are a lot of folks.

Now the consent decree is set to expand to include traffic stops.

That's been a pretty significant source of controversy in recent months.

Where does that effort stand in limbo?

A public comment period expired earlier this month that will likely prompt both CPD and the New Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability to draft new rules where it goes after that is pretty much anybody's guess.

But I have a feeling you'll be paying close attention to I well either.

Sharon, thanks very much.