See the Public Safety Commission's draft recommendation to the Village Board on the Skokie Police Department Use of Force Policy. Through June 14, 2021, comments on the draft document may be sent to info@skokie.org.
In fall 2020, at Mayor Van Dusen's request, the Village's Public Safety Commission began a community review of the Skokie Police Department Use of Force Policy that included involvement from members of the Village's Human Relations Commission as well as from representatives of 16 community groups. See more information about the community review of the Skokie Police Department Use of Force Policy. The draft document linked above is the culmination of this review. Comments received by June 14, 2021 will be provided to the Public Safety Commission for consideration at the Commission's June 16, 2021 meeting when they will review the document again and consider it for final approval. If the document receives final approval that evening, it will be presented at the July 6, 2021 Village Board meeting.
In early 2020, Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen took the Obama Foundation’s Reimagining Policing Pledge and committed to taking four specific actions recommended by the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK) that is part of the Obama Foundation.
The pledge lists the following actions that are intended to examine public safety policies through an equity lens:
- REVIEW your police use of force policies.
- ENGAGE your communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in your review.
- REPORT the findings of your review to your community and seek feedback.
- REFORM your community’s police use of force policies.
Sincere thanks to the Village's Public Safety and Human Relations Commissions and the representatives of the 16 community groups that participated in this important community initiative.