In January of 2016, the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights convened a meeting of about twenty civil rights and community organizations to discuss a collective response to the release of the videotape of the Laquan McDonald shooting and the unfolding crisis in our city.

Over the course of the next year, the group that became known as The Collaborative carried out a series of actions to move police accountability forward in Chicago:

·         Sent a letter to the leaders of the DOJ investigation with areas of particular concern

·         Sent a letter to the Mayor’s Police Accountability Task Force  (PATF) urging it to adopt recommendations for data driven, evidence based policies

·         Met with members of the PATF to assess the status of efforts to implement the PATF’s over 100 recommendations

·         Publicly called upon the Mayor and the City Council to develop and publicize a plan and a timeline for implementation of the PATF’s recommendations

·         Met with the City’s lawyers to negotiate specific changes to the COPA ordinance that passed in October 2016