This interview is with Fr Dowling of St. Agatha Church about the campaign in Chicago to change language in the current Police union contracts that protect bad cops, enabling them to remain on the force. CPD command officers and past Cook County States Attorneys have protected criminal cops who then continue to violate their office. There is a code of retribution should honest cops speak out.
Fr Dowling speaks about the restorative work of community rebuilding in violence and drug plagued neighborhoods through "peace circles" that build trust through listening. Another program defends low wage workers from wage theft by their employers. Wage theft jn Chicago currently averages one million dollars a day.
Fr. Larry Dowling denispadre@aol.com St. Agatha Church www.st-agatha-chicago.org
In Chicago, the police have little trust in communities of color. Crimes committed by bad officers go unpunished; complaints can lead to retribution. Efforts by the Mayor to cover up the murder of Laquan MacDonald sparked massive demonstrations, a call for his resignation and spurred a campaign for elected civilian control over the police department. Court ordered release of police video from the shooting showed that all the police on the scene had lied about events.
Over half a billion dollars has been awarded claimants in Federal Civil Law suits against the CPD and the City of Chicago, in the past ten years alone, for wrongful death, injury, and violation of Civil Rights. Almost never are the individuals responsible prosecuted, fired or appropriately disciplined.
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