@CHIdocumenters This meeting will not be livestreamed, according to the notice posted online. Access that information including today's agenda items, past meeting minutes and more about Chicago's police district councils.

Council elections occurred in February 2023. For the first time, Chicagoans voted for up to 3 people to serve on their respective councils, similar to voting for mayor or local alderperson. An explainer by @city_bureau @delvecchiograce takes a deeper look:

The 14th district council members include Christopher Laurent (chair), Ashley Vargas (nominating committee) and David Orlikoff (community engagement).
Community members continue to trickle in to the meeting room at 1 PM and the council waits to start.

A notable agenda item includes updates and a discussion over the Treatment Not Trauma initiative.
The meeting is called to order at 1:10pm and roll call is underway, starting with public comments.

One meeting attendee asks about the purpose of the council. Members introduce themselves and their rolls and responsibilities.

The council helps hold police more accountable and promotes public safety through community engagement, says Laurent.
"Broadly speaking, I find our role in three ways: Police accountability, restorative justice and public safety," Orlikoff adds.

Members of the public bring up a common issue - concerns over the current arbitration process announced earlier this Oct.
"Police officers accused of misconduct can go through an arbitration process away from the public, essentially," explains one community organizer.

Read more about the agreement between the Mayor's office and Fraternal Order of Police:

The public comment portion comes to an end.
Vargas talks about one incident involving a 14th district police officer who attempted to intimidate a migrant with firearms. That has been brought to the attention of the Inspector General's Office, Vargas says.

Orlikoff brings up another incident impacting folks in the area.
"I've been told by multiple community members that there's a pattern of targeting and harassment that drove a huge group out of [a local] charity network," Orlikoff says.

Orlikoff expands on the community-faced impacts that result when central spaces are targeted. Outreach organizations often provide resources for primarily marginalized residents. Obstructing access from donations and community events disproportionately affects those folks.

According to Orlikoff, the 14th district police commander didn't have direct knowledge of this incident - where officers raided a local community event that featured poetry readings.

"What seems [to be the] obvious situation was that there was an expectation that there would have been illegal alcohol sales or ticket sales...none of which was the case," Orlikoff says.

Orlikoff describes his efforts to assure community spaces, like the poetry event, operate free of police harassment.
"Unfortunately, I did not get a formative response to that," Orlikoff says.

"There were no violations, no need for further licensing or permits - even though that's not the jurisdiction of the police," Orlikoff says, adding that the police department's legal counsel declines to meet despite requests to discuss the situation, and the issue is ongoing.

The meeting moves on to a presentation over the Treatment not Trauma initiative.
"How we can go about having a preventative approach to mental health?" the presenter asks. "How do we decrease the number of mental health crises that happen globally? And really for us?"

Police are often the first to respond to medical crisis, including mental health related ones, despite a lack of training.
Another question for the audience:
"How do we have intervention when there is an actual crisis...that doesn't seek to criminalize the individual?"

There are better suited folks to respond instead of police. These individuals receive specialized training on de-escalation, which is an extension of trauma-informed care.
The Treatment not Trauma initiative notes the city's limited mental health and related services.

Read about how Rahm Emanuel closed half of Chicago's mental health clinics.
Despite promises from the Lightfoot administration to increase funding for mental health services, issues persist.

Mental health crises can stem from root causes like housing insecurity or food deserts. Treatment not Trauma follows the lead of other cities with similar initiatives like Portland and Denver.
Their non police crises response efforts decreased crime rates and the police budget.

Ultimately, these types of programs aim to address the structural issues that contribute to mental health distress.
Read about expanded mental health services in the 14th ward area and city.

The next meeting will take place on Jan 6 in the Logan Square library at 1 PM, council members announce as the meeting nears its end.
The meeting adjourns at 2:35 pm.

That concludes this thread over today's 14th police district council meeting. Thanks for following along!
Follow @CHIdocumenters for more coverage like this, and keep an eye out for meeting notes from today by Mona Tong.
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