CAIR-Chicago Attends Interfaith Forum Hosted by the Chicago Police Department

On July 28, 2005, CAIR-Chicago Governmental Relations Director Fadi Farhan took part in the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) meeting of faith-based leaders called, “Strengthening Relations Between Police and Chicago’s Diverse Communities”. The meeting is a regular forum in which scores of prominent representatives and leaders of Chicago’s faith-based community come together to discuss problems that each community sees on its streets and the manner in which the CPD can help to solve those problems. The meeting was mediated by Professor Tracey L. Meares, law professor and Director of the Center for Studies in Criminal Justice at the University of Chicago. The invited church, mosque, synagogue, police, and political leaders created a list of issues that the group would then try to resolve by the end of the meeting. The list included issues such as bias-based policing, mutual respect between communities and officers, diversity of the police force, and engagement of the youth. One of the suggestions promulgated at the forum was the creation of a card to be handed out at each traffic stop made in the city limits. The card would detail the proper 8-step procedure that the officer making the stop is required to follow and provide the citizen with the contact information for the Office of Professional Standards (OPS) in order to file complaints regarding the professional behavior or attitude of the officer(s) involved, if a problem should arise. The OPS assists the Superintendent in maintaining discipline and ensuring the integrity of the CPD. CAIR-Chicago will be attending focus group meetings with 1st Deputy Superintendent Dana Starks to discuss the best manner in which the CPD can engage the Muslim community of Chicago.

Please direct any questions or comments regarding this meeting with the Chicago Police Department to Fadi Farhan, Director of Governmental Relations, at gov.relations@cairchicago.org.

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