ROGERS PARK — Two challengers with backgrounds in neighborhood business development are hoping to oust Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) as she seeks a second term as Rogers Park’s alderperson.

Business owner and former Rogers Park Business Alliance board president Belia Rodriguez is mounting her first bid for public office. Bill Morton is also running for the seat, marking his third political campaign.

Hadden took office in 2019, defeating Ald. Joe Moore and ending his 28 years in office.

A fourth candidate, Willie Davis, was tossed off the ballot after election officials found he did not submit enough valid signatures to qualify.

The election is Feb. 28. If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote, the top two will head to an April 4 runoff.

Here is more information about each candidate, who are listed alphabetically:

Maria Hadden

Hadden was among a wave of successful progressive challengers to long-seated alderpersons in 2019. She is the only North Side lakefront incumbent elected in 2019 that’s running for reelection in a campaign season dominated by aldermanic retirements.

Hadden’s first term was marked by a pandemic, civil unrest, a tornado, heat wave deaths at a retirement home and surging homelessness brought on in part by the pandemic. Despite those challenges, Hadden characterized her first term as “productive and successful.”

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

“I’m hoping the second term won’t include a global pandemic and that we might be able to make even more progress,” she said.

Hadden counted among her first-term accomplishments the passage of multiple ordinances meant to protect seniors and residents of institutional buildings.

That includes a pandemic-era ordinance that requires buildings to conduct wellness checks on seniors and strengthens COVID-19 protections in senior buildings.

There was also an ordinance overhauling Chicago’s minimum heating and cooling laws following the deaths of three seniors in a Rogers Park complex during a heat wave. Hadden also helped get the Chicago Park District to install life rings along the lakefront following a Rogers Park drowning.

Some of Hadden’s term has been dominated by the issue of homelessness, particularly at the encampment at Touhy Park.

The tent city has existed for around two years, coinciding with a homelessness crisis throughout the city exacerbated by the pandemic. In response to the camp’s presence, the Chicago Park District closed Touhy Park’s field house in September.

Hadden has worked with city agencies to pair residents of the camp with housing, and 85 people living in the park have been paired with apartments so far. Despite those efforts, the camp has persisted, its numbers ebbing and flowing.

A stand-off on the situation has ensued, with both police and the Park District deciding not to enforce laws around park curfews, a temporary policy installed during the pandemic, sources have said. At the same time, Hadden has sought a housing-first policy as a way to return the park to normal services.

Hadden said she wants the Park District to determine a timeline by which it will enforce its curfew, and that she wants to see Touhy Park opened with full programming by the spring.

But with the city experiencing a dual crisis of more people experiencing homelessness and an influx of migrants bused in from Texas, Hadden said the city’s housing and shelter network is at its max.

Hadden approved a nonprofit’s homeless shelter proposal to open a permanent men’s shelter on Clark Street. The move prompted heated community debate, including from many opposed to the project. But the city needs to do more to fund housing as a part of the solution to the homelessness crisis, with the Rogers Park project being a step in the right direction, Hadden said.

Hadden’s challengers have made criticizing her response to the crisis a main campaign theme. To that, Hadden said the candidates offer similar platforms to hers, including a housing-first approach.

“It’s just easier said than done to get somebody to give you a deadline and a time frame,” Hadden said. “It’s also [us] trying to do it compassionately.”

Crime has also been a common thread over the last few years and of the current campaign.

Certain crimes, like car thefts, have increased by 109 percent since 2019 in the police district that covers Rogers Park and West Ridge, according to police statistics. Robberies are up 26 percent and aggravated burglaries up 39 percent since 2019 while burglaries have fallen by 29 percent.

Hadden said she is in favor of restoring the Rogers Park police district to its staffing levels of the past, as the district has dealt with a reduction of about 30 percent of its resources, she said. Hadden also supports funding violence-prevention and youth programming as a means of restoring community fabric post-COVID and improving community safety, she said.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we saw a decrease in people’s feeling of safety at the same time that we saw an increase in people’s isolation and inability to gather,” Hadden said. “That’s another thing I’m actually … really looking forward to, helping to knit back together a bit. That wasn’t anybody’s fault, but COVID really made it fall apart.”

Hadden said she would use a second term to further affordable housing in the neighborhood, including a 110-unit affordable proposal for Howard Street, and restoring the city’s department of environment.

Hadden’s campaign had nearly $41,000 cash-on-hand at the quarter ending Dec. 31, records show. That’s after spending $57,000 on the campaign in the last quarter of 2022.

For more on Hadden’s campaign, click here.

Bill Morton

A longtime Rogers Park local and fixture of the neighborhood business community, Morton is making his second run for Rogers Park alderperson and third run for public office.

Credit: Campaign website

This time, he has the most prominent campaign headquarters in the race, the backing of a wealthy mayoral candidate and the bully pulpit afforded to him as founder of the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce.

Morton, a 20-year resident of Rogers Park, ran in 2019 against Moore. But Moore’s and Hadden’s campaigns both successfully challenged Morton’s petitions, throwing him off the ballot. He ran as a write-in.

Morton also ran for Democratic committeeman in 2020 but lost to state Rep. Kelly Cassidy. He said those campaigns were successful in getting more people involved in local elections, even if he didn’t end up winning. They also proved good experience for this year’s race, Morton said.

“I want to see more [people] involved in the democratic process,” Morton said. “We learned so very much, and we’re ready to move forward with an incredible campaign.”

Morton co-founded and is president of the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce. The group seeks to boost small business in the neighborhood.

Its mission and focus overlap with the Rogers Park Business Alliance, the development corporation that works with the city, gets tax funding to support outdoor dining and community spaces in the area, conducts corridor studies of local business districts and organizes community events.

Morton founded the alternative chamber of commerce after being disappointed by what he saw as the business alliance’s lack of advocacy for local shops, he said.

The chamber is a 501(c)6 nonprofit, meaning it can weigh in on local politics. (The business alliance is a 501(c)3, which precludes some political activity.) Morton uses his chamber to advance his campaign through social media promotion and events coordinated between the chamber and campaign.

Morton’s campaign headquarters is at the former Leona’s restaurant at 6935 N. Sheridan Road. The building also functions as the chamber’s offices, and the facility has hosted multiple job fairs produced by the chamber.

The campaign has come under fire from the city for hosting events with live entertainment and BYOB service, with the city issuing a cease-and-desist against the facility for hosting such events. Morton said the campaign offices can host events again, as long as it is explicit they are fundraisers for his election effort.

Morton also defended using his chamber group to boost his campaign, saying there is “no conflict of interest” if the chamber endorses him.

“The chamber and campaign are running along the same path,” he said.

Morton said he chose his campaign offices specifically to draw a contrast to Hadden and to highlight his pro-business campaign, he said.

The former Leona’s restaurant was proposed as the new location for Rogers Park’s Zen Leaf dispensary, which is tucked away on Rogers Avenue. Hadden turned down the dispensary’s relocation request, which would have required a rezoning. Leona’s closed in 2019.

“I feel that was a blown opportunity,” Morton said. “I would have said yes. We have enough empty storefronts.”

Morton’s priorities as alderperson would be public safety, public health, housing and jobs.

His campaign has been endorsed by mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, who has contributed at least $5,000 to Morton’s campaign. Morton’s campaign had $346 cash-on-hand as of Dec. 31, records show.

“I’m not afraid to have an unorthodox campaign,” Morton said. “We have deep roots in the community. We’re going to surprise you and we’re going for the win.”

For more on Morton’s campaign, click here.

Belia Rodriguez

After growing up in Little Village, Rodriguez has lived in Rogers Park for 11 years. That’s where she grew her information technologies business and began volunteering for the Rogers Park Business Alliance, the local business development nonprofit.

Credit: Facebook

Rodriguez was serving her second term as board president of the Rogers Park Business Alliance when she resigned to run for Rogers Park alderperson. She made the decision after noticing what she saw as stymied community development, and after few other candidates arose to challenge Hadden, she said.

“It seems we’ve regressed from the progress that we had made,” Rodriguez said. “I was waiting for someone that could be a good competitor, put some choices on the ballot. I decided I’d step up when I didn’t see a whole lot of choices for me on the ballot.”

Rodriguez said she shares many of the same concerns as the local small business community, including public safety and the issue of homelessness, she said.

On public safety, Rodriguez favors providing additional police resources at the district level while also making more investments in violence prevention programs. She also said she would have a better relationship with police than Hadden and would seek to further help residents and businesses who were victims of crime.

Rodriguez has also sought to draw a contrast with Hadden about the Touhy Park tent encampment.

Rodriguez said she would “first of all find housing” for the remaining residents in the park and would like the city to explore new ideas on that front, including building tiny houses. She said she would establish a task force to tackle the problem and would set a timeline to reopen the park as a way to spark action.

“That park should be open to the community,” Rodriguez said. “I’m going to put a lot of energy toward putting a lot of people at a table — and we don’t stop meeting until we have answers and plans and timelines.”

Rodriguez said she would be more pro-business than the incumbent and would be amenable to housing development proposals, criticizing Hadden’s decision to deny certain residential development upzoning requests.

“In terms of what’s affordable, we haven’t built anything in four years,” she said. “Every year that we don’t build and add density into the community means that things are going to go up on the other end, and the only way that we can mitigate that at all is to allow supply.”

Rodriguez’s campaign has been hit with a complaint regarding its ties to a newly launched political action committee called People For Rogers Park.

The complaint, filed by an attorney supporting Hadden, accuses Rodriguez of failing to report a poll conducted by the political action committee as an in-kind contribution to her campaign. The poll was meant to gauge the viability of Rodriguez’s candidacy, the complaint alleges.

The complaint also accuses Rodriguez of soliciting donations to the political action committee instead of to her campaign committee.

A hearing officer of the state board of elections tossed some of the complaints, while finding sufficient information regarding the in-kind contribution to move to a hearing. A case management conference in the matter is scheduled for Feb. 6, and a hearing could be scheduled at that time if the two parties don’t come to a settlement agreement, a spokesperson for the state election board said.

Rodriguez said donations were directed to the political action committee in case she ended up not running, so the funds could still be used in the race. She chalked up the complaints to machine politics on Hadden’s behalf and said she would abide by any ruling in the process if it means the campaign can focus on issues impacting the community.

“If I’ve done things wrong because I didn’t know and I wasn’t given better legal advice, then I’m willing to accept the mea culpas,” Rodriguez said. “I am 100 percent focused on the issues.”

Rodriguez’s campaign had over $6,100 cash-in-hand in the latest quarterly filing period that ended Dec. 31, records show.

For more on Rodriguez’s campaign, click here.

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Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation. 

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]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:50:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/DaBPq-jBJRagYnyLWC8-huGrEXdXG_66 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/DaBPq-jBJRb55yFcuhQ--um6srrLMsqK

ENGLEWOOD — Englewood neighborhood leaders are blasting officials for replacing their closed Whole Foods Market with a Save A Lot, accusing the city of pursuing a backroom deal over the community’s objections.

Officials confirmed Thursday the store, which closed in November, would be revived as a Save A Lot. A Save A Lot sign was posted on the building last week.

Developers and city leaders said they approached several major grocers about taking over the store, 832 W. 63rd St. Save A Lot was the only option, they said.

Yellow Banana, which owns and operates stores under the Save A Lot name, signed a lease for the vacant building in December.

At the time, co-owner Michael Nance wouldn’t confirm which grocer his company would tap to put “the food on the shelves” at the store. But Nance and developer Leon Walker, whose company DL3 Realty is landlord of the store, confirmed it will be a Save A Lot during a Thursday meeting with South Side community leaders. 

At an unrelated news conference Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said her team worked “tirelessly” to find another grocery store to replace Whole Foods. Despite having conversations with “all of the grocery chains in the city,” there were “no takers,” Lightfoot said.

That’s when conversations with Yellow Banana as a viable replacement began, Lightfoot said. Yellow Banana has “shown real promise” in its work transforming Save A Lot stores across the Midwest “into valuable community assets,” she said. 

“As I know now, you go into the community and you offer services, you’re always going to have some concerns, some doubt — particularly communities like Englewood, who have had a lot of promises over the years, but haven’t had a lot of people deliver,” Lightfoot said. “But I said to community leaders there, including the alderman, we’ve got to solve the problem of the need for affordable food options in that community. And I think that this Yellow Banana-led Save A Lot is going to do that.” 

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Outraged neighborhood leaders at Thursday’s meeting pressed Nance and Walker for an explanation for why residents weren’t looped into conversations about the future of the building and why they pursued a deal neighbors repeatedly said they did not want.

“Do you have a plan on how you’re going to tell the community this? Because they’re ready to boycott it. They don’t want a Save A Lot,” said Asiaha Butler, director of the Residents Association of Greater Englewood. “The community protects the store. We know how Englewood gets, and they don’t want a Save A Lot.”

‘It Seems Like This Was Preplanned’

Whole Foods announced its closing plan for the store in September, and developers pledged they would soon have answers for neighbors about what was next for the space, saying they had three good options for a replacement.

Neighbors and community officials held a town hall in October to hear updates from the development team and demand the next grocer provide affordable, healthy options while remaining accountable to the community. 

Ryan Green, chief investment officer at DL3 Realty, said at the time Whole Foods Market was “leading the discussion” on who would replace the store. DL3 Realty is the landlord of the building, but Whole Foods Market has a lease for the next seven years. Whole Foods has the “right to fill the space with a subtenant” of its choice, Green said. 

Ald. Stephanie Coleman (16th), whose ward includes the store, pressed Nance on Thursday as to why a representative from Yellow Banana did not attend the October town hall. Nance said company leaders “were under the impression that we would not be taking over the sublease” when the town hall occurred.

“The reality is that we had numerous conversations with Whole Foods,” Nance said. “It was up to them to make a decision about who they wanted in that store. We went to the wayside for a very long period of time, and my sense is that when they weren’t able to get someone else to assume that sublease, we were back on the table. Every indication was that they told us to kick rocks. That got us off to a not-ideal start.” 

Whole Foods officials took “months and months” to canvas the market, Walker said. 

Representatives for Whole Foods did not respond to requests for comment.

When Englewood Square was developed, “the anchor store was planned to be a Save A Lot store,” Walker said. But when Whole Foods came in, it signed an agreement stating it’d “have to commit to [finding] a grocery operator” if it left, Walker said. Save A Lot was one of the stores listed as a replacement, Walker said. 

“There was no commitment to Save A Lot, but it was that they’d have to at least investigate Save A Lot, as well as any other grocery store,” Walker said. 

The Englewood storefront is a “smaller-format box,” so Whole Foods couldn’t seek a “big-format grocer” like Jewel Osco or Mariano’s as a replacement, Walker said. Instead, officials searched for smaller, independent stores, like Cermak Fresh Market, Pete’s Fresh Market “and even some out-of-town ones,” Walker said. 

Ultimately, the best deal was with Yellow Banana, Walker said. 

“Everyone can point to a couple of negatives, but I try to focus on the positives,” Walker said. “Community development is not easy. There are a lot of economic forces and issues that make it challenging, and I’m just willing to give these brothers a chance to try to make a go of it. We’re just trying to be as supportive as possible.” 

Credit: Atavia Reed/Block Club Chicago

Some locals have long opposed a Save A Lot store in Englewood, citing poor quality food and untidy stores on the South and West sides. Other nearby grocery stores include a newly remodeled Aldi at 63rd and Wallace and the Go Green Community Fresh Market, a community-led store launched by the Go Green on Racine team in March to bring fresh, local food to Englewood.

Nonprofit Teamwork Englewood surveyed 300 neighbors for their thoughts on the former Whole Foods and what neighbors wanted to replace the storefront. A majority said they would like an Aldi, Walmart or Mariano’s to set up shop.

Butler told WBEZ’s Sasha-Ann Simons in November many neighbors are “apprehensive” of the Save A Lot brand due to experiences they had at other Save A Lot stores.

“Everybody knows brands,” Butler said. “I would hope it’s nothing like the Save A Lots that have been in our Black communities over these last few decades. You don’t hear about these stores in Lincoln Park. You don’t hear about these stores being located in other well-to-do places.

“So it’s just interesting that this is the model for a lot of Black and Brown communities but not necessarily the model with some of our most affluent neighborhoods.”

Credit: Teamwork Englewood

Cecile DeMello, executive director at Teamwork Englewood, shared a list of demands for Yellow Banana if the store wants their support.

The company must sign a community benefits agreement pledging to hire directly from the community, create an advisory support group and share updates on the store’s performance. 

Yellow Banana must also change the store’s name from Save A Lot, DeMello said. Neighbors demanded a meeting with the chief executive officer at Save A Lot to guarantee he fulfills the promise. 

The company is hiring a person to help with community engagement in the community, Nance said. They are still searching for the funds to “help pay the person,” Nance said.

Yellow Banana “isn’t the old Save A Lot” leadership, Nance said. The company wants to “do right by the community,” he said. 

“We want this store to be a success,” Nance said. “We want it to be a hallmark for this community. High-quality food at affordable prices, bringing in Black entrepreneurs from the community to run a store in their community.”

Neighbors like Butler said it’s not enough. There is still a lack of transparency from the company, developers and city officials, Butler said.

“I’m not telling my members of RAGE to accept Save A Lot, or lie and change the name like it’s not Save A Lot,” Butler said. 

“Whole Foods spent three years learning this community before opening. This was rushed. I cannot vouch for this. This is very disappointing.  Nobody would be in that store if it was up to us. I don’t care about no benefit agreement. What can Save A Lot do for the community? Look at what they’ve done.”

Jonathan McKenzie, senior pastor at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Englewood, said the community is hurt. 

“We are here, but we’re here with mistrust,” McKenzie said. “We’re here with a lack of faith in what you’re trying to do because you ignored the community, and that hurts. When we conduct a survey, we share with you that information, we’re transparent, but you’re not transparent. You want us to trust you when you have ignored us.

“… It’s hard to trust that things are going to be different when people speak and others don’t listen.”

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

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]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:45:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/DaBPq-jBJRb55yFcuhQ--um6srrLMsqK https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/DaBPq-jBJRb55yFcuhQ--lhGNgNo2_0q

EDGEWATER — Spencer Bagley feels at home inside room 325, surrounded by an assortment of acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and what some might argue the most melodic instrument: the voice.

The 16-year-old Senn High School junior spent most of elementary school playing the clarinet in band, but found his way into Trevor Nicholas’ choir room when classes re-opened in the fall of 2021. 

The environment was welcoming, the conversations candid, and the community supportive — just the steady ground Spencer needed as he struggled with his mental health and gender identity. 

Nicholas’ empathetic approach guiding students through their own musical journey has made a difference for Spencer and other Senn students who are finding their voice after a tumultuous few years.

Like many educators, Nicholas believes in creating opportunities for his students beyond the four walls of his classroom. Whether it’s having his students perform at venues such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago or bringing in grants to launch new music programs on campus, he’s committed to his students. 

But he isn’t your typical choir teacher. Nicholas is nominated for 2023 Grammy Music Educator Award — his second year in a row as a finalist for the honor. The winner will be announced ahead of the 65th Grammy Award ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 5. 

The 37-year-old recalled being floored by the back-to-back nominations, describing the moment as “unreal.”  He’s humbled and grateful for the recognition and credits his current and former students who “committed themselves to the music and the project of making art.”

The nomination is “amazing,” Nicholas said. But even more amazing has been “watching the brilliance of these young humans as they cared for and kept moving forward, in what, I understand some of the hardest times in recent memory.”

For Spencer, the latest Grammy nomination just affirms Nicholas’ dedication to his students and his commitment to using music to change the world.

“This just really shows how amazing he is and how hard he works for us and how much he dedicates to us,” Spencer said.

How A Chicago Educator Uses Music For Healing

For more than a decade as a Chicago Public Schools teacher, Nicholas has used music as a conduit for healing — something that has become even more vital as students confront the mental health impacts of the pandemic and Chicago’s pervasive gun violence, which claimed the life of a Senn student in December.

Nicholas learned about the  power of music from personal experience, at a very young age. He was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and used a wheelchair in fifth grade. He found a companion in his piano — spending hours writing and composing in his room. 

When students switched to remote learning in 2020, Nicholas again found himself at his piano — composing songs to help his students navigate the overall uncertainty of the pandemic. Through a computer screen, he shared with his students his composition and some lyrics for “Who Will Carry Me?” — an original song responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Blackness, and trying to process the trauma while in isolationthat would later become a music video featuring his students.

“I found so much healing and peace at the piano, expressing myself through music,” Nicholas told Chalkbeat last year. “As a music teacher, it’s something I try to bring to my students, the healing power of music.” 

Senior Lilah Soyster recalls connecting to the lyrics when Nicholas first played an early draft for his class over Zoom as they sat separately in their homes. 

“Who will carry me

While I am alone

Who will hold me close and keep me bright”

In the next few months, the song evolved as the Chicago music teacher and his students collaborated virtually. The full weight of the project hit Lilah as she processed the turbulent period.  

“We were all kind of misty-eyed watching it premiere,” the 17-year-old said, recalling watching it online. “It was emotional.”

Nicholas and his students followed up with another song titled “The Cave” last spring.

Choir classes and Lilah’s involvement in the two song projects have helped her grow as an artist and a songwriter, she said. 

The program has not only taught her that there are many avenues she could pursue after high school, but also about building connections. 

“I learned a lot about what it means to be like a friend through being in an ensemble,” Lilah said. 

Spencer recalled being in awe at the artistry as he worked alongside his teacher, peers, and collaborators to complete “The Cave.” 

“It was so wonderful to watch,” he said. “We’re all having trauma at this time and we were all able to communicate with each other and sing together and grow together.”

Senn’s music program has allowed Spencer to grow artistically with the help of Nicholas and private voice lessons through the school’s partnership with ArtsSmart — a mentorship program that offers professional one-on-one voice lessons to students. 

“I always want to come to school to experience this class,” Spencer said. “It’s my favorite part of the day, and I really feel so grateful to be able to have this because a lot of people just don’t.”

The program also provided much more than music lessons. For years, Spencer has struggled with his gender identity, but found support from his father and Nicholas.

“He’s my favorite teacher ever,” Spencer said. “He gives 1,000% of everything to us every single day.” 

Teacher Says Grammy Nod Is A Testament To Ttudents

On a recent Thursday afternoon, Nicholas stood at the front of room 325 and guided students through rehearsal, occasionally stopping to offer tips. The voices swelled in harmony, filling the choir room’s tall ceilings and cascading into a wall of sound. 

“You’re doing great everyone,” he told his students, using the keyboard to mark pitch as he sang in a falsetto.

Students sang the refrain from the Pentatonix song “Take Me Home”: “Oh, take me there. Won’t you take me there? Won’t you take me home?”

“Did you like your last vowel, everyone? I saw some theatrics out there,” Nicholas observed before steering them through the final note.

They made another attempt. Harmonies melded together — smooth and effortless.

“Oh, that’s gorgeous!” he said excitedly. “You’re doing great. You sound really incredible.”

After last year’s Grammy nomination, Nicholas saw many more doors open for his students: more performance invitations, partnerships and donations. 

This is not just his Grammy journey. It’s his students’ journey, too. They were “central” to these nominations — he only hopes they are also riding the same wave of excitement, he said.

“There’s untapped potential all around us,” Nicholas said. “So I hope that the school takes some chances on various dreams. It’s not like that there’s this magic thing that made this happen. There’s a lot of daily magic that we chose to enter in together.”

Win or lose, Nicholas’ message of music as a tool to get through life is already a victory. 

“If this is as far as we go with the Grammy nomination,” Nicholas said, “it’s enough.” 

His students agree. He’s already given them the best lesson any teacher could give: the confidence to believe in their dreams.

Mauricio Peña is a reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, covering K-12 schools. Contact Mauricio at mpena@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:19:27 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/DaBPq-jBJRb55yFcuhQ--lhGNgNo2_0q https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/DaBPq-jBJRbRnv6Ns4-hIQBC78OgjhDM

JEFFERSON PARK — Seven candidates are seeking the Jefferson Park (16th) police district council seats. The district includes parts of Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Dunning, Norwood Park, Edison Park and O’Hare.

Credit: Kirk Williamson for the Chicago Reader

David Feller

A senior adviser for legislative affairs at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Feller ran Sheriff Tom Dart’s 2022 reelection campaign. He is the the 38th Ward Democratic Organization president and serves on a local school council.

Feller co-founded Dunning Square Neighbors and the West Portage Park Neighbors Association. With Dunning Square Neighbors, he helped lead a successful effort to stop a community hospital from closing. He served on former president Obama’s political staff before Obama became president, and is currently the volunteer President of the 38th Ward Democratic Organization. 

Dart, Sens. Omar Aquino and Robert Martwick, Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, state treasurer Mike Frerichs, IUOE Local 150 and Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council have endorsed.

Activist or organizer

Ties to police or FOP

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I am running because I have spent my entire life in the City of Chicago and my entire career in Law Enforcement.

I am aware at this critical moment that there are major problems with Policing. Both in the way policing is delivered to the community and the apparent inability of the Chicago Police to solve crimes at the rate which gives people any confidence that they will be safe in their communities.

These are coupled with a lack of trust and unwillingness on the part of the community to work with the Police to improve community relations.

When this Office was created by the City Council, I felt compelled to involve myself in the process. I wanted to be involved because I know from the practical experience I have in law enforcement, that while there are great police officers and great policing strategies, mixed in with that are bad police officers and equally bad policing strategies. We need someone who can identify problems and propose reasonable solutions.

Fortunately, I am also aware that this election will bring out people who are either blindly devoted to backing the Police no matter what the circumstances were and there are those who will mercilessly attack the Police no matter what the circumstances were.

I think it’s important to bring my experience and my leadership so I can be a reasonable voice in this discussion on how to improve the performance of our Police for the betterment of all the citizens of the City of Chicago. 

Colleen Mary Dillon

An Edison Park resident, Dillon told the Reader, “I know what it’s like to worry about the safety of our children and the future they face.”  The Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Firefighters Local 2, Alderpersons Anthony Napolitano (38th Ward) and Nicholas Sposato (41st Ward) have endorsed.

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

Ties to police or FOP

Political endorsement

Daniel Martin

A former intern for 41st Ward Ald. Anthony Napolitano, Martin has worked for 38th Ward Ald. Nicholas Sposato since 2019. He told the Reader he believes police funding should be increased, adding, “we hold an annual ‘support the police’ rally outside the 16th District police station.” Napolitano and Sposato have endorsed.

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? No: funding should be increased.
• CPD reform: The police are doing a good job, and need more resources.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I am a proud resident of Chicago, born and raised on the northwest side. I believe in community building through active public service. I come from a long line of first responders who have dedicated their lives to the Chicago Police and Chicago Fire departments.

I love the northwest side and I wear that pride on my sleeve every day. The city of Chicago has seen a huge uptick in crime and a lack of justice in our judicial system, I refuse to stand by and lose our city. I am running for the police [district council] to bring a strong common sense community voice to the 16th District. It’s time to take back our communities and make the streets safe once again.

Colleen Murphy

A resident of Jefferson Park, Murphy did not respond to requests for comment.

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

John Marcatante

A resident of Norwood Park East, Marcatante filed ballot petitions with the assistance of the Fraternal Order of Police’s election attorney, Perry Abbasi, who told the Reader the FOP referred Marcante to him. Marcante did not respond to requests for comment. 

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

Ties to police or FOP

Trisha Kannon

A realtor who lives in Jefferson Park, Kannon has been endorsed by Local IUOE 399 and Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st).

She provided the following statement to the Reader:

Through my work as a real estate agent and an active member of our community, I have long understood the concerns for improving policing and public safety in the district. 

Over the past decade, I have worked to bring our police officers and neighbors together through holiday catering events and thoughtful dialogue.

As your elected member of the District Council, I will work to bring stronger connections between the police and our community, develop and implement community policing in a collaborative setting, develop proactive programs and ensure that we have a voice in the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.

Please vote for me on February 28, 2023 and I will make sure we are true partners with our police by solving problems, addressing manpower levels and setting priorities together to make our neighborhoods safer.

The candidate declined to respond to our questionnaire.

Political endorsement

Dan Butterworth

A bank vice president, Butterworth enrolled in the Citizen Police Academy in suburban North Chicago. He has expressed support for police officers—and also for the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization that seeks to exonerate wrongfully convicted people. He says, “Citizens must keep a watchful eye to ensure the fine line between safety and liberty is walked.”

Candidate questionnaire responses

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? No
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? No
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

My district is home to over 200,000 residents, and approximately 1/3 of the department’s officers. Our city is capable of both supporting our officers for the good work they do while ensuring that citizens are heard through oversight and accountability measures such as the CCPSA to help restore the public’s perception of police legitimacy. 

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WICKER PARK — Three candidates are seeking the Shakespeare (14th) police district council seats. The district includes parts of Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square and Humboldt Park.

Credit: Kirk Williamson for the Chicago Reader

David Orlikoff

A grassroots organizer, Orlikoff was the #DefundCPD outreach lead for the 35th Ward, and has advocated to reduce CPD’s budget by 75 percent and reinvest in communities. United Neighbors of the 35th Ward and Northside Democracy for America have endorsed. 

“I started seriously organizing for democratization of power and resources with Occupy Chicago during college in 2011,” Orlikoff says. “I helped bring together local National Nurses United and Iraq Veterans Against the War to form a campaign to fully staff mismanaged veterans hospitals where administrators awarded themselves bonuses for cutting medical personnel. I helped organize a meeting between Women’s Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams and Shirin Ebadi and local organizers, along with a written statement in support from Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire. I helped organize a direct action workshop by Lisa Fithian, and aided in early activities for the Movement for Black Lives.”

“I have been active with the Coalition Against Corporate Higher Education, and Occupy Columbia, the Tax Integrity and Fairness (TIF) Alliance, Occupy the SouthSide, the Chicago Light Brigade, Free Howard Morgan Campaign, the campaign for Chicago Torture Justice Memorials, Chicago Teachers Solidarity Campaign against school closings, the Mental Health Movement to keep clinics open, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression for an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council, the Elected Representative School Board.

“Most significantly, I was the DefundCPD Outreach Lead for the 35th Ward, where we got over 2,500 petition signatures and 71 group endorsements to reduce CPD’s budget by 75 percent and reinvest in solutions that provide the care our communities need.”

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? No
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
• CPD reform: The police should be defunded or abolished.
• Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Establishing civilian control of the police department

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I’m a grassroots organizer from Chicago who moved to the northwest side ten years ago. Eighty-seven percent of Chicago voted to Defund CPD in [Mayor Lightfoot’s] budget survey. That makes sense, given how Chicago spends among the most per capita of any US or global city on police — almost half our total budget. It’s not a question of bad apples but a system that allows them to abuse their position. Police should not be above the law or the people. There isn’t a single person who should be trusted to use their power and authority to police themselves. And there isn’t a single politician you should trust saying police are the solution to all our problems. That’s the convenient lie of corruption. I decided to run when I discovered we didn’t have enough candidates, knowing I couldn’t squander this opportunity to increase safety, accountability, and democracy.

We deserve Treatment, Not Trauma, lives free from racist unconstitutional gang databases, and police held fully accountable with automatic systemic auditing and serious criminal punishments for false statements, tampering with evidence, abuse of rights, and brutality. We need to defund CPD as almost 90 percent of the city demanded, and spend that money on the care that compassionately and efficiently addresses our needs and actually solves crimes in ways police never can. Showing up after harm has occurred with a monopoly on state violence cannot solve or prevent crime, let alone make us safe. When police are on scene as in school shootings, they do nothing, while killing innocent people when they hold all the power. Instead of wasting $60,000 a year on jailing somebody desperate, we could spent $6,000 on Housing First with over a 90 percent success rate ending homelessness.

Christopher Laurent

A legal assistant, Laurent says he “works directly with city officials and their legal counsel.” His goal as a council member will be “to provide the support and accountability to the police force.” The Libertarian Party of Chicago has endorsed.

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? No
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police are doing a good job, and need more resources.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I care about the community and I aim to provide the support and accountability to the Police force.

Ashley Vargas (write-in)

A write-in candidate, Vargas has worked for the past year as a field organizer in progressive political campaigns and voter engagement and mobilization, as well as with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association on affordable housing. United Neighbors of the 35th Ward has endorsed.

“I have experience working on successful grassroots progressive campaigns, voter engagement and mobilization for the last year,” Vargas says. “I also worked with Logan Square Neighborhood Association during the summertime, being home from college, organizing for affordable housing in the neighborhood.”

United Neighbors of the 35th Ward has endorsed.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? No
• Should the city hire more police officers? No
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
• CPD reform: The police should be defunded or abolished.
• Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community
• Establishing civilian control of the police department
• Other: “Listening to people’s stories, getting those people involved and educating the public on policies and budget.”

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I was asked to run by people in my community, since only white men planned to run and historically police brutality has affected marginalized communities. I plan to be a source of safety who people can share their stories with and a source of building a strong coalition of people who want to see change with the city budget and police policies. I come from a family who has suffered at the hands of police and plan to do my best at unionizing the constituents to see a change city-wide. 

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AUSTIN — Seven candidates are seeking the Austin (15th) police district council seats. The district includes parts of Austin and South Austin.

Credit: Kirk Williamson for the Chicago Reader

Deondre’ Rutues

A community organizer and engagement specialist for NYU’s Policing Project, Rutues helped launch its Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative and leads its outreach efforts in the 11th, 15th, and 25th districts. He says his role “is to build and repair the relationship between the Chicago police and the communities they serve” via monthly meetings between CPD and residents and by locating resources to assist public safety efforts.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
• CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Other: “To educate, inform and organize the community around police accountability. This entails policy and procedures, laws, and practices that determine how Chicago Police interact with the community. A well educated, informed and organized community will be able to make the best recommendations for the policies that will determine how Chicago Police interacts with the communities they serve. ”

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I’m running because I have had negative and positive experiences when engaging with the Chicago Police. It is as paramount to hold the Chicago Police accountable as it is to work to build relationships between them and the communities they serve. I will continue to advocate for the community by enforcing the powers of the District Council upon those officers and the systems they promote that mistreat the community in any way. Additionally, I will be a bridge to the officers and the systems they promote that want to work in unison with the community to enhance public safety.

Arewa Karen Winters

An administrative coordinator for the United Congress for Community and Religious Organizations, Winters became active in police reform efforts after CPD shot and killed her 16-year-old great-nephew in 2016. She founded the 411 Movement for Pierre Loury and has worked with Justice For Families and the Chicago Justice Torture Center.

Winters cochaired Mayor Lightfoot’s Use of Force Working Group, which convinced CPD to begin requiring officers to use de-escalation techniques before using force.

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Oddis “OJ” Johnson

Formerly a member of the 25th District steering committee, Johnson cofounded the Voters for a Change Coalition of Illinois and United Front Anti-Crime. He’s running “to be a spokesperson and ambassador for the people and bring change to the way that the Chicago police serve and protect our communities.” Voters for Changes Coalition of Illinois has endorsed.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? No
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
• Mental health crises: The police need significant reform.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Establishing civilian control of the police department
• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

To be a spokesperson and ambassador for the people and bring change to the way that the Chicago police serve and protect ours communities in the 15th District. 

Darius Newsome

A resident of Austin, Newsome did not respond to requests for comment.

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

Supports more police accountability

Constance Melton

An outreach coordinator, Melton attends faith-based meetings led by 15th district police officers. She says, “It’s important to bridge the gap between the community, church, and the police department.”

Supports more police accountability

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? No: funding should be increased.
• CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Helping the police do a better job
• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I think it’s important to bridge the gap between the community, church, and the police department. All of these components are important to create effective change in the community.

Carmelita Earls

A retired Chicago Fire Department chief, Earls had a 32-year career and commanded the Fire Academy; in that role she worked with CPD, which she says “enhanced our on-scene rapport.” Her duties were to “formulate, implement, and enforce policies of public safety.”

In 2021, she requested a demotion because she had to place two firefighters on no-pay status for vaccine noncompliance. Earls has been a block club captain, precinct captain, aldermanic candidate, ward committeeperson, and president of the Women’s Council of Community Intercession.

Chicago Firefighters Local 2 and members of the Women Council of Community Intercession have endorsed.

Candidate questionnaire responses

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? No
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community
• Other: Serve as a liaison on behalf of both parties! While ensuring accountability!

Why are you running for Police District Council?

In today’s climate of Community Policing, we must resolve our disputes in order to bridge our cultural differences! Situation Awareness will allow each call to be mitigated on its own merit, therefore the public can be heard without escalation! I have witnessed the public and police behavior [without] any kind of Conflict of Resolution chances. With irreparable result! 

As a District Council member, I bring Institutional Knowledge to the table, the knowledge allows for each situation to be view as an opportunity to crest a collaborative solution.  Instead of spending the majority of our energy on the problem! I’m excited to act as 1/3 of the Bridge Assembly!

Elena X. Thompson

An advocate for families impacted by the child welfare system, Thompson helps provide food, shelter, clothing, and other resources to residents in Humboldt Park and Austin.

“I currently am assisting two fellow neighbors against police brutality and also working closely to keep our people safe and secure, and I’m certain that I can be a huge attribute for this office,” she told the Reader. “In 2018, I assisted with securing a couple of abandoned properties to slow up the drug trafficking, trespassing and nuisance in the Austin Area especially District 15.”

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? No
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Helping the police do a better job
• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community
• Establishing civilian control of the police department

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I can sit here and paint a pretty picture or outline how perfect my life has been to convey the thought of why one should consider voting for me as a District Council. Sorry, my picture isn’t all that pretty and nor I am not perfect nor have I had such the ideal perfect life. 

The chapters in my life up to this point have been a very wide and bold experience for me and has allowed me to be one of the  perfect examples of what Change looks like. 

Running for office compliments everything I stand for. Development, Commitment, Strength, Listener, Honesty, Great Partner, and Integrity.  These attributes will certainly be needed to bridge the gap between the police force and our community. I can assure you my little piece can make a major difference. Vote for me and “It’s Handled!” 

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BELMONT CRAGIN — Five candidates are seeking the Grand Central (25th) police district council seats. The district includes parts of Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Belmont Central, West Humboldt Park, North Austin, Galewood and Montclare.

Credit: Kirk Williamson for the Chicago Reader

Jacob Arena

A resident of Belmont Gardens, Arena did not respond to requests for comment. 

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

Saul Arellano

The son of immigration activist Elvira Arellano, who sought sanctuary from ICE agents in a Humboldt Park church for a year in 2006, Arellano has worked with Centro Sin Fronteras and Healthy Hood Chicago on immigration and mutual-aid fronts. “We must hold the police accountable,” he says. “Our communities deserve better, and must be treated with the utmost respect.”

Alds. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), MWRD commissioner Dan Pogorzelski, and Rep. Will Guzzardi have endorsed.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? No
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
• CPD reform: The police should be defunded or abolished.
• Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I will soon graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies, with two minors in Sociology and Political Science. My focus of study has been the Social Injustices occurring within our social institutions, such as racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, and many other forms of oppression. I have dived deep into these different forms of oppression, and the real consequences it has caused marginalized communities.

Therefore, I decided to run for the position of District Council for the 25th Police District.

I intend to serve the community and the immense need for community investment. We must invest in life-changing social services, and offer well-funded social institutions (schools, mental health clinics, youth programs, and mentorship programs). A safe community works to prevent situations and issues from escalating.

For starters, providing funding services to youth recreational spaces, mental health services, and community events allows for community participation. Within that creating an emphasis on protecting under-served youth such as BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth, could significantly lower suicide rates, increase academic records, and reduce their chances of homelessness and ending up in the prison system. It means creating a support system rather than a punitive form of correction that discourages growth, therefore, stunting it, a community flourishes when all its members are given an opportunity to grow.

In addition, our campaign is running on a POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY platform, it is not excusable the hundreds of human rights violations the police have been responsible for. Therefore, I am fighting to re-imagine a new department that stems away from the racialized roots it was created from. I plan to step away from the hard-on-crime ideology, because, this has not been working.

Angelica P. Green

Green is an advocate for adults and children with developmental and intellectual disabilities. She also advocates for “integrity, accountability, and public safety.”

Alds. Carlos Ramirez Rosa (35th) and Emma Mitts (37th) and Congressman Danny Davis have endorsed.

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Perry Abbasi

An election attorney, Abbasi was tapped by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) to assist other pro-FOP candidates in filing election paperwork and to challenge the ballot petitions of progressive candidates in the 19th, 20th, and 24th districts.

In an interview with the Reader, Abbasi said that the FOP gave him a “green light” to run because they had no other candidates running the 25th District. He added that the district councils must figure out “how we’re going to ameliorate the rise in crime, but it has to be done constitutionally and equitably.”

On January 19, the Reader reported that Abbasi is the author of numerous racist and misogynist social media posts and group chat messages. Abbasi said the posts are meant to be humorous trolling.

Ties to police or FOP

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes*
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? No: funding should be increased.
• CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

* “I’ve been active in community groups in the Galewood Community where I live, including founding a farmer’s market and organizing the community to stop a potential problem business from opening.”

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

To give the residents of the community a voice to communicate with the district to find solutions to the rising crime rate, in a manner that respects the civil rights of all.

Edgar “Edek” Esparza

A fifth-grade teacher at St. Genevieve Catholic School in Belmont Cragin, Esparza ran for alderman four years ago. He says he’s running to create “cooperation between the communities and the police of the 25th police district.”

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

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ROGERS PARK — Seven candidates are seeking the Rogers Park (24th) police district council seats. The district includes parts of Rogers Park, West Ridge and Edgewater.

Credit: Kirk Williamson for the Chicago Reader

David Earl Williams III

A US Navy veteran, Williams wrote in his campaign announcement that if elected he’ll “fight to improve public safety (including reasonable fund reallocation to help lessen crime) . . . [and] hold police violence against civilians and cop killers equally accountable, and will work to bridge the divide between the community and the police.”

MWRD commissioner Dan Pogorzelski and Violence Interrupters executive director Tio Hardiman have endorsed.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community
• Establishing civilian control of the police department
• Helping the police do a better job

Why are you running for Police District Council?

To be the voice of the district’s citizens and boldly represent them while working with the district commander and the CPD to ensure police accountability and expanded public safety measures are properly implemented. 

Veronica Arreola

Arreola founded the 50th Ward Action Network and worked with The People’s Lobby during the 2019 municipal elections. She is running in a slate with EdVetté Jones and Marilyn Pagán-Banks; the slate’s campaign website calls district councils “the most progressive community-led police accountability device in the country.”

Alds. Andre Vasquez (40th) and Maria Hadden (49th), Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy, the ONE People’s Campaign, Network 49, and United Working Families 50th Ward have endorsed the three-candidate slate. 

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? No answer
• Is CPD adequately funded? No answer
• CPD reform: No answer
• Mental health crises: No answer

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

As an educator and parent, I clearly see how the over-investment in policing has resulted in an under-investment in the community. I believe this under-investment results in more crime and violence. This cycle needs to be broken by new ideas and these ideas should come from the community, especially from those who have been harmed by current policing strategies.

EdVetté W. Jones

A trustee of the United Church of Rogers Park, Jones works with the Circles and Ciphers Youth Organization and previously was a youth advocate for Methodist Youth Services, where he frequently interacted with the Department of Children and Family Services, probation and parole officers. He helped draft the ECPS ordinance and says “public safety is a joint venture.”

He is running in a slate with Veronica Arreola and Marilyn Pagán-Banks; the slate’s campaign website calls district councils “the most progressive community-led police accountability device in the country.”

Alds. Andre Vasquez (40th) and Maria Hadden (49th), Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy, the ONE People’s Campaign, Network 49, and United Working Families 50th Ward have endorsed the three-candidate slate. 

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
• CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I feel that for many years our communities have been misinformed on the role of the police. Police have the authority to protect the community, not to control the community. That is the job of the community, and my number reason for running: to bring the community together and recognizing our strengths to overcome the adversities that divides us.

I am also running on behalf of years of misconduct by CPD with little to no accountability, too many young Black and Latino men killed by police, the lack of oversight by the city, loopholes in the policies. budgets and spending that the community has no say so over also, the lack of positive influences and interactions by police in our communities. The community must be in the know, and the community must be involved. Public safety is a joint venture.

Marilyn Pagán-Banks

The director of the nonprofit A Just Harvest and a founding member of the Coalition to End Money Bond, Pagán-Banks says, “If we want a safe community, then all must have enough to eat, earn a livable wage, access meds if needed, and have a place to truly rest. If we want a beautiful community, then all must know dignity and respect, have a clear sense of belonging and be truly seen.”

She is running in a slate with EdVetté Jones and Veronica Arreola; the slate’s campaign website calls district councils “the most progressive community-led police accountability device in the country.”

Alds. Andre Vasquez (40th) and Maria Hadden (49th), Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy, the ONE People’s Campaign, Network 49, and United Working Families 50th Ward have endorsed the three-candidate slate. 

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Political endorsement

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? No answer
• Is CPD adequately funded? No answer
• CPD reform: No answer
• Mental health crises: No answer

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Establishing civilian control of the police department
• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community
• Other: Supporting Treatment Not Trauma-type work to support healing and economic development programming, and less on the carceral system. 

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I am running for district council because I believe the most transformative, innovative, and generative solutions to community safety (i.e., well-being and thriving for all), can and will only come from the community itself. I want to be a part of creating brave spaces for this creative work to happen.

Cynthia McFadden

Raised in Rogers Park, McFadden studied political science and sociology at Lincoln University and says she has 30 years of social justice and community activism around issues such as disability, education, and labor issues. She worked with community organizations on the passage of the ECPS ordinance.

Activist or organizer

Supports more police accountability

Candidate questionnaire responses:

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Helping the police do a better job
• Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I’m running because I am the experienced voice for the people. I’ve been in and out of Rogers Park the first precinct and in the Edgewater for the last 50 years. I have seen what works and what has not work I have seen the positive changes in the 24th Police District board and the negative changes that have been corrected. I look forward to being a voice for the people so they can have an oversight and accountability with the CPD.

Daniel Wolk

Wolk taught social sciences at the University of Chicago and has covered meetings of the Police Board, City Council Public Safety Committee, and Community Safety Coordination Center for City Bureau, a civic journalism lab based in Bronzeville. His “deep commitment to democracy and community empowerment” informed his decision to run.

Wold was active with Represent US and successfully got the Chicago Board of Ethics to add two items to its proposed changes to the Chicago Governmental Ethics Ordinance, one of which is now law (an increase in the maximum fine that the Board of Ethics can impose from $2,500 to $20,000). He has written dozens of reports on local government for City Bureau, a nonprofit civic media organization based on the south side.

Candidate questionnaire responses

• Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
• Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
• Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
• Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
• Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
• CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
• Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

• Other: I see the listed roles to be equally important. I want local community residents to have more of a say the setting of policing and public safety policy in their own districts and tailored locally. I also want the district councils be factories for the production of new police oversight and training policies.

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I am very concerned about the erosion of democracy and public safety in the U.S. generally, Chicago, and in my neighborhoods, as well as about the increasing polarization and siloing in our society. I believe I have the skills, talents, and knowledge to do my little part about it. 

I have gained expertise in facilitating dialogues and discussions and believe I can engage with community members in order to increase community influence over the police and public safety policy. My studies and experience have given me many ideas for improving the police force and increasing public safety.

Mitchell Rose

Rose filed ballot petitions with the assistance of the Fraternal Order of Police’s election attorney, Perry Abbasi, who told the Reader the FOP referred Rose to him. He did not respond to requests for comment.

The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.

Ties to police or FOP

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