WOODLAWN — Six candidates are vying for the police district council seats for the Grand Crossing (third) district, which incorporates elements of Woodlawn, South Shore and Better Grand Crossing. Meet them under.
Credit score: Kirk Williamson for the Chicago ReaderAna Marija Sokovic
A computational scientist at UIC, Sokovic is a CAPS beat facilitator for Beat 215. Within the late Nineteen Nineties, she participated within the nonviolent scholar motion in Serbia that overthrew Slobodan Miloševic. “I skilled firsthand that the individuals collectively, with self-discipline, humor, and cautious planning, can transfer mountains,” she mentioned. She envisions a public security method the place “the neighborhood is empowered, and therapeutic and reconciliation are prioritized over punishment.”
Alds. Gregory Mitchell (seventh) and Jeanette Taylor (twentieth), and aldermanic candidates Martina Hone (fifth Ward) and Desmon Yancy (fifth Ward) have endorsed.
 Activist or organizer |  Helps extra police accountability |  Political endorsement |
Candidate questionnaire responses
- Do you could have expertise as an activist or neighborhood organizer? Sure
- Do you could have expertise interacting with CPD? Sure
- Do you could have expertise working or interacting with authorities? No
- Ought to town rent extra law enforcement officials? No
- Is CPD adequately funded? Sure: funding ought to be diminished
- CPD reform: The police want important reform.
- Psychological well being crises: Police ought to accompany healthcare staff to psychological well being crises.
What do you think about the first position of a police district councilor to be?
- Establishing civilian management of the police division
- Speaking with the division on behalf of the neighborhood
- Serving to the police do a greater job
- Different: “Assist insurance policies that mirror the wants of the neighborhood. Present assets for options to policing to the neighborhood. Assist construct belief between the neighborhood and the police. Interact the neighborhood in public security efforts.”
Why are you working for Police District Council?
I made a decision to run for this place due to my deep dedication to democracy and racial fairness in addition to my need to present again to my neighborhood. This ethos was instilled in me from a younger age by my mom who labored as a medical physician in Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, and from my participation within the Serbian scholar protest group Otpor. Furthermore I do know that with privilege I’ve an obligation to leverage my place to empower others and provides again to my neighborhood. I used to be all the time informed that you’re doing properly in life in case you are respiratory, you attempt to be higher, and also you do good for others!
Residing in Chicago since 2010, I’ve come to grasp that police departments are among the many authorities establishments most shielded from real neighborhood enter. I wholeheartedly imagine that to make sure security in our neighborhoods, we should all be engaged. District Councils give us the distinctive alternative to place the neighborhood’s voice on the coverage making desk.
With my computational science background I’ve the talent set to do what is required on this effort:
- Present evidence-based and data-driven fashions with the intention to assist implement options for sustainable improvement and security in our neighborhood
- Facilitate neighborhood entry to policing knowledge, paperwork, and information to help larger transparency and police accountability.
- Prepare communities with analysis instruments that they’ll use to take neighborhood security initiatives from ideation to implementation
My imaginative and prescient for public security is one the place the neighborhood is empowered and therapeutic and reconciliation are prioritized over punishment.
My hope is that I’ll assist my neighborhood to higher perceive and use its personal energy!
Jim Blissitt III
A member of CAARPR, Blissitt has labored with a wide range of neighborhood organizations together with Resident Affiliation of Better Englewood and Chicago Group Belief. With the Woodlawn Kids’s Group Promise Freedom College, he organized youth demonstrations towards gun violence. He additionally labored with the City League to facilitate police board neighborhood enter boards. Blissitt owns a secured transportation firm that serves the hashish trade.
Aldermanic candidates Desmon Yancy (fifth Ward) and Patrick Brutus (fifth Ward) have endorsed.
 Activist or organizer |  Helps extra police accountability |  Political endorsement |
Candidate questionnaire responses
- Do you could have expertise as an activist or neighborhood organizer? Sure
- Do you could have expertise interacting with CPD? Sure
- Do you could have expertise working or interacting with authorities? Sure
- Ought to town rent extra law enforcement officials? Sure
- Is CPD adequately funded? Sure: funding ought to keep about the identical.
- CPD reform: The police want important reform.
- Psychological well being crises: Police ought to accompany healthcare staff to psychological well being crises.
What do you think about the first position of a police district councilor to be?
- Establishing civilian management of the police division
- Serving to the police do a greater job
- Speaking with the division on behalf of the neighborhood
- Different: “Growing the variety of Third Police District residents serving as community-focused regulation enforcement officers.”
Why are you working for Police District Council?
I’ve resided within the Third district for a lot of my life. As a grandchild of the good migration, I’m considering uplifting Chicago’s Black neighborhood.
I’ll deal with implementing equitable CPD hiring practices, lowering the variety of blighted properties, empowering households impacted by crime, eradicating police abuse, and strengthening neighborhood data about public security.
My household has all the time been concerned in the neighborhood. My father, a veteran and USPS truck driver, volunteered at my public elementary faculty. My mom is a nurse serving the weak members of our neighborhood. My dad and mom taught me the significance of public security within the upkeep of wellness and wholesome outcomes.
The sacrifices of my household afforded me the chance to attend (HBCU) Alabama A&M College (AAMU) after graduating from Luther South Excessive College. Whereas attending AAMU, I used to be launched to social service as I volunteered at Harris House for Boys. I graduated from AAMU and accomplished my MA at DePaul College the place I’m now finishing my PhD targeted on postsecondary vocational entry.
I participated in peaceable demonstrations within the wake of the discharge of the Laquan McDonald execution video. Whereas working with the Kids’s Protection Fund/Woodlawn Kids’s Group Promise Freedom College program I organized youth demonstrations towards gun violence and the accessibility of unlawful weapons within the Black neighborhood. I additionally labored with the City League to facilitate police board neighborhood enter boards. I’m additionally an advocate and activist combating for true social fairness in Illinois’ hashish trade. I’m additionally a member of CAARPR and am receiving capability improvement associated to the ECPS ordinance.
Whereas employed with Chicago Public Faculties’ Workplace of College Counseling and Postsecondary Advising, I labored with Dr. Jackson in managing the Mayor’s Study/Plan/Succeed initiative. Whereas employed with the Chicago City League I managed programming funded via the Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative. I’ve additionally managed DFSS funded SEL grant packages. I additionally developed CCC City Agriculture curricula elements as a Lecturer with Metropolis Schools of Chicago. I coordinated with the division of planning associated to the big heaps program. I coordinated with town’s zoning administration associated to securing a rental property in compliance with the state’s Hashish Regulation and Tax Act.
I’ve served greater than 15 years with organizations such because the Chicago City League, Facilities for New Horizons, R.A.G.E., Salvation Military, Group Pipeline Inc., Chicago Group Belief, PAL, CPS and lots of others. Now proprietor of McKenzie’s Secured Transportation, I works diligently to safe fairness in Illinois’ hashish trade. These establishments launched me to the super want for public security interventions within the stabilization of Chicago’s underserved communities.
Janice Jones
Jones is facilitator for CPD beat 334. She says, “No single method is true for each neighborhood.” Ald. Gregory Mitchell (seventh) has endorsed.
The candidate has not but responded to our questionnaire.
 Political endorsement |
Kenya Franklin
A political strategist and mom of three, Franklin has lived within the third district her total life. She says she needs to enhance transparency between CPD and residents. She helps a two-strike rule for officers who garner racial and violent complaints, and needs to finish certified immunity, the authorized precept that protects law enforcement officials from being personally sued for civil rights violations.
 Helps extra police accountability |
Candidate questionnaire responses
- Do you could have expertise as an activist or neighborhood organizer? No
- Do you could have expertise interacting with CPD? No
- Do you could have expertise working or interacting with authorities? No
- Ought to town rent extra law enforcement officials? No
- Is CPD adequately funded? Sure: funding ought to be diminished.
- CPD reform: The police want important reform.
- Psychological well being crises: Police ought to accompany healthcare staff to psychological well being crises.
What do you think about the first position of a police district councilor to be?
- Serving to the police do a greater job
- Speaking with the division on behalf of the neighborhood
Why are you working for Police District Council?
I want to see civilians’ expectation of regulation enforcement to fulfill the precise job description within the center. I believe there’s a disconnect between what the general public expects and what’s truly supplied. Transparency is paramount to belief in the neighborhood.
Craig T. Carrington
A neighborhood court docket case supervisor for the Restorative Justice Group Courtroom in Englewood, Carrington has additionally labored as a court docket liaison for the Prepare dinner County Grownup Probation Division, as a neighborhood organizer for St. Anthony Hospital, and as a paralegal within the workplace of the Illinois Lawyer Normal.
 Activist or organizer |  Helps extra police accountability |
Candidate questionnaire responses
- Do you could have expertise as an activist or neighborhood organizer? Sure
- Do you could have expertise interacting with CPD? Sure
- Do you could have expertise working or interacting with authorities? Sure
- Ought to town rent extra law enforcement officials? Sure
- Is CPD adequately funded? Sure: funding ought to keep about the identical
- CPD reform: The police want coaching and a few reform.
- Psychological well being crises: Police ought to accompany healthcare staff to psychological well being crises.
What do you think about the first position of a police district councilor to be?
Different: “To forge a wholesome and optimistic relationship between the residents of the Third Police District and the Third District Police. To get rid of antiquated insurance policies which might be not helpful or efficient. Particularly, insurance policies that proceed to convey strife and dissension.”
Why are you working for Police District Council?
I’m working to make the most of my neighborhood outreach expertise to construct a greater relationship between the Third District residents and the Third Police District. Particularly, I search to undo coverage that’s not conducive to the residents of the Third Police District and to develop and implement coverage that might be efficient in overseeing how the police, police the neighborhood.
Anthony David Bryant
Bryant has labored as a authorities affairs affiliate for Metropolitan Household Providers, as a legislative administrator for State Consultant Lamont J. Robinson, and as a neighborhood outreach and engagement affiliate for The TRiiBE.
Ald. Jeanette Taylor (twentieth), Desmon Yancy (fifth Ward candidate), Coalition of African American Leaders (COAL), and Heart For Racial & Gender Fairness (CRGE) have endorsed.
 Activist or organizer |  Helps extra police accountability |  Political endorsement |
Candidate questionnaire responses:
- Do you could have expertise as an activist or neighborhood organizer? Sure
- Do you could have expertise interacting with CPD? Sure
- Do you could have expertise working or interacting with authorities? Sure
- Ought to town rent extra law enforcement officials? No
- Is CPD adequately funded? Sure: funding ought to be diminished.
- CPD reform: The police want important reform.
- Psychological well being crises: Police ought to accompany healthcare staff to psychological well being crises.
What do you think about the first position of a police district councilor to be?
- Establishing civilian management of the police division
- Speaking with the division on behalf of the neighborhood
- Serving to the police do a greater job
- Different: “The first position of a Police District Councilperson is to create a platform not just for the neighborhood to talk, however present an revolutionary assume tank for the neighborhood to show their issues into insurance policies.”
Why are you working for Police District Council?
I’m working for the Police District Council to incorporate residents of the Woodlawn neighborhood on the decision-making tables to amplify our collective voices. My life’s work has been rooted in placing the neighborhood first, not political relationships, personal pursuits, or monetary positive factors. I’m working to verify neighborhood facilities, companies, establishments, political organizations, and authorities officers work collectively to develop methods to supply areas and locations for implementing restorative justice practices and getting the residents’ views on police accountability.
Sadly, in our society, we’ve considered public security as a regulation enforcement drawback. This technique has not solely restricted what governments can present our communities however it’s the incorrect formulation for a a lot greater interconnected and systemic coverage difficulty. Our communities want public officers and policymakers to deal with societal points like inexpensive housing, hire management, enough healthcare, high quality meals providers, culturally enhanced training, and entrepreneurial possession alternatives. As a future public official, I plan to advocate and supply packages and providers that deal with these points whereas working to lower the necessity for policing and mass incarceration.
