AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/fraternal-order-of-police/)
If true reforms do not happen right away, we need to eliminate our current system, writes state Rep. La Shawn Ford. The Austin lawmaker says this is not about individual police officers or bad apples; this is about a system that is inherently flawed.
“There’s no versus them in this,” Deputy Chief Kevin Johnson said at a recent community forum. “We need your ideas, and we need your help. Whatever we can do to solve our problems, that’s what we need to do. We can’t point fingers anymore, we need to put on paper what we can do to make our community safer.”
The civil rights group and 29th Ward Ald. Chris Taliaferro say a vote should not be rushed on the proposal to replace the troubled disciplinary body.
Rep. La Shawn Ford, the author of HB6266, is hopeful the Illinois House will soon vote on the measure; the Senate also would need to approve it.