>>> THE CITY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE HAD A CONSENT DECREE.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

JOINING US WITH MORE IS A RESIDENT OF WATERS PARK, ELECTED TO THE 20th DISTRICT COUNCIL AND HE IS ALSO A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE PEACE AND VIOLENCE DIRECTOR NORTHWEST.

ALSO MIDDLETON, MICHELLE GARCIA, FOCUSING ON PROTECTING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND FORMER CHICAGO POLICE SUPERVISOR.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COURT OVERSIGHT MEAN?

>> IT WOULD MEAN THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS WOULD ASK TO BE AT THE TABLE.

AND ASK THAT THEIR VOICES BE HEARD TO CHANGE THE POLICIES AND PRACTICES .

IT POTENTIALLY COULD BE GREAT.

IT IS GOING TO BE IN A TRANSPARENT WAY.

RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT STIPULATION THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS PUT FORTH, THAT IS NEGOTIATING WITHOUT COMMUNITY INPUT.

THE HEARING WAS TO DEMAND THAT FOLKS LIKE THE ACLU , COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND PEOPLE IMPACTED WILL HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, SO THAT THEIR VOICES CAN BE ACCOUNTED FOR.

>> WHAT ARE THE PROCEDURAL HOLES THAT YOU THINK ARE MISSING?

WHAT IS MISSING AND WHAT IMPACTS COULD THAT HAVE?

>> THERE ARE THREE BIG AREAS THAT ARE MISSING.

FIRST, THE SITUATION, THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY ARE ONLY PROHIBITING STOPS SOLELY BECAUSE OF SOMEONE'S RACE.

THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE SAYS, LOOK, IT MEANS THAT THE WAY THE STIPULATION IS WORKING, AN OFFICER COULD SAY, IT IS A HIGH -CRIME AREA.

THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH IT.

THAT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

THE IDEA THAT WE ARE JUST LIMITING IT TO GRACE MUST BE GONE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE STIPULATION THAT ME KNOW ARE RACIALLY DISCRIMINATORY, SUCH AS CRIMINAL EXPERIENCE.

THE OTHER AREAS ARE STOP -AND-FRISK .

>> THE ACLU, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE SOME WORK ON THIS.

BUT, REVEREND MIDDLETON, YOU TESTIFIED AT THE HEARING , AS WELL, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU?

>> OUR MISSION IS TO ERADICATE POVERTY.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT THE DISPARITIES AND THE DISPROPORTIONATE WAYS THAT THESE STOPS DIRECTLY IMPACT PERSONS OF COLOR AND PERSONS IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THEIR INCOME.

PERSONALLY, AS A WOMAN OF COLOR, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SHARE MY PERSONAL NARRATIVE, SO THAT IT CAN SHED LIGHT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACT.

>> YOU TESTIFIED ABOUT A RECENT IMPACT THAT YOU HAD WITH YOUR WIFE.

GIVE US SOME CONTEXT.

WHEN DOES AN OFFICER DECIDE TO PERFORM A STOP-AND-FRISK?

>> WE HAVE MOVED WAY AWAY FROM THAT.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE AREAS IN WHICH THESE COPS ARE PATROLLING.

IF I AM A BLACK MAN AND I SAY TO THE OFFICER, AS A MALE BLACK MAN, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, THOSE PULLEYS ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR A PERSON WHO MATCHES THERE IS GOOD TOO.

BEING A FORMER COP, SOMETIMES THEY WILL PUT ON DIFFERENT CLOTHING.

THAT IS THE PREMISE OF HOW THESE INVESTIGATIVE STOPS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO.

NOW, I AM GOING TO SAY THIS.

YEARS AGO, YOU HAD CPD , JUST LIKE LAW-ENFORCEMENT , DOING INDISCRIMINATE STOPS OF BLACK PEOPLE A LOT.

THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENCE AND CRIME IN THE AREAS.

BUT THAT IS NOT RIGHT.

AS LONG AS YOU ARE DOING IT IN THE FRAMEWORK THAT I JUST PRESCRIBED, YOU SHOULD BE OKAY.

>> GIVE ME A SENSE OF HOW YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SEEN OR EVEN EXPERIENCED STOP -AND-FRISK?

>> FROM YOUTH TO MY ADULTHOOD, TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK ON AVERAGE, I WAS PULLED OVER FOR STOP-AND-FRISK.

I BECAME A WORKING PROFESSIONAL .

>> WHAT HAPPENS, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE STOPPED, WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK, WHAT DOES THE OFFICER INSTRUCT YOU TO DO?

>> I BELIEVE THE AVERAGE SCENARIO , YOU KNOW, IT IS VERY PHYSICAL.

WHEN I WAS A YOUTH, I REMEMBER THEM LOOKING THROUGH MY BOOKBAG, HOMEWORK, SCHOOL SUPPLIES.

SPREAD MY LEGS, THEY TOUCHED ME INAPPROPRIATELY.

AND THAT WAS COMMON PRACTICE.

A CHILD DOES NOT EVEN KNOW THAT WAS ILLEGAL.

THAT WAS WHAT THEY CALLED ROUTINE STOP -AND-FRISK, ROUTINE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

THEY DID NOT GET A LOT OF RESULTS.

THEY ROUGHED A LOT OF US UP THAT WERE EXPERIENCING THAT AREA THEY SAID WE FIT THE DESCRIPTION.

BUT THEIR WAY OF GOING ABOUT TRYING TO FIND THAT PERSON, ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS JUST DEMEANING, IT BRINGS PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES.

IT BREAKS DOWN TRUST , BETWEEN THE PERSON .

THE WORK THAT I DO, I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE , TALKING ABOUT THE VIOLENCE THAT IS HAPPENING AND PERPETRATED BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING US FROM THAT TYPE OF VIOLENCE.

>> REVEREND MIDDLETON, HOW DO YOU SEE THESE TYPES OF STOPS IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY?

>> IT IS TRAUMATIZING, WE HAVE TO PICK ABOUT THE WHOLE PERSON AND THE SANCTITY OF LIFE.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE.

WHEN PEOPLE ARE AFRAID WALKING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

WHEN THEY ARE AFRAID TO GET INTO A CAR, AND ACTUALLY HAVE A NICE CAR AND DRIVE.

THEY ARE AFRAID TO JUST BE HUMAN.

AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS THAT THAT HAS, TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE, A FULFILLING LIFE .

I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER THE VOICES IN THE NARRATIVE THAT WERE JUST SHARED.

ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE PREVENTATIVE.

BUT IF IT IS NOT RESULTING IN FINDING GUNS AND FINDING DRUGS, THEN WHY IS THIS PRACTICE NECESSARY, WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY CREATING MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

>> OF COURSE, THE RESULT WAS YOUR NUMBERS DECLINING IN PEDESTRIAN STOP-AND-FRISK.

BUT THERE WAS AN UPTICK IN TRAFFIC STOPS, AS WE REPORTED ON HERE.

>> THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT , CPD DID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STOP-AND- FRISK .

THE NUMBERS WENT DOWN, THEY HAD 61,000 STOP-AND-FRISK, THAT IS STILL TOO HIGH, RIGHT?

WHAT HAPPENED IS, WHAT CPD DID, THEY SWITCHED PRACTICES.

THEY WERE BEING MONITORED.

THAT NUMBER HAS GONE UP .

YOU KNOW, ON THE DATA THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO COLLECT, STATE SENATOR BARACK OBAMA PASSED WHAT SHOWED THAT THEY WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY STOPPING.

>> WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS BEHIND THE INCREASE ?

>> HERE IS THE THING.

I DO NOT KNOW HOW WE COME UP WITH THIS NUMBER, TOO HIGH, TOO LOW.

IT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE DETERMINED BY WHAT IS GOING ON IN THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS.

IF WE ARE DESCRIBING IT, IT BREAKS YOUR HEART.

AS A YOUNG BLACK MAN GROWING UP IN CHICAGO, I WAS STOPPED.

THAT IS NOT A GOOD FEELING.

SO, WE TRIED TO IMPLEMENT TRAINING AND WE TRIED TO LET THE OFFICERS KNOW .

I AM NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE MONITORING FOR WHAT WE CAN SEE, STOP-AND-FRISK, AND MOVING THE TRAFFIC STOPS.

I KNOW THAT I DID NOT ENCOURAGE THINGS LIKE THAT.

YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE COMMUNITY TRAINING, YOU STILL HAVE TO BE THE POLICE, TOO.

AND WE ARE JUGGLING ALL OF THESE THINGS.

ON ONE HAND, I KNEW THAT THEY WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.

AND I REALLY BELIEVE IN IT.

AND A LOT OF IT, I BELIEVE IT.

BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO VICTIMLESS CRIMES IN THESE AREAS.

SO, I AM NOT SAYING THAT YOU INDISCRIMINATELY GO OUT THERE AND STOP PEOPLE.

BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A VALID REASON TO DO IT, THAT IS WHEN YOU DO IT.

>> WE ARE OUT OF TIME, WE HAVE 30 SECONDS.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE COMES OUT OF THIS CHANGE UNDER THE AGREEMENT?

>> RESULTS.

IF YOU ARE PULLING OVER 500,000 PEOPLE, AND LESS THAN 1% OF RESULTS , THEY ARE STILL PULLING OVER THESE PEOPLE.

YOU ARE UNJUSTIFIED., WITH NEW TACTICS, NEW MEASURES, GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED .

THESE ARE THE DECISIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING IN THEIR BACK ROOMS.

LET'S PUT IT ON THE