Hairstons 5th Ward hosts town hall in Hyde Park: Residents reject citys plans for NATO, G8 Summits
The day before she voted against Mayor Rahm Emanuels proposal for security and other issues surrounding the upcoming NATO and G8 Summits, Ald. Leslie Hairston held a town hall meeting with her 5th Ward constituents.
Hairston joined her ward residents in fearing that changes to current city ordinances or passage of new ones surrounding the May 15-22 summits that would give the Chicago Police Department certain deputizing powers, and give the mayor unchecked authority regarding some summit hosting business, would not be good.
Dozens of people turned out for the Jan. 17 town hall meeting that was held at the International House on the University of Chicago campus. Also addressing the crowd of constituents was U of C political science Professor Bernard Harcourt and Attorney Thomas Durkin of Durkin & Roberts law firm.
The 5th ward alderman cited potentials for abuse and flatly opposed giving carte blanche to the mayor and the police department for doing anything and everything without having to be accountable, a chance for private contracts to be abused and really, the lack of transparency and opportunity for people to weigh in.
Despite her objections, two ordinances passed during the Jan. 18 City Council meeting related to the upcoming summits.
One ordinance which makes permanent changes to city laws, such as allowing CPD deputizing authority, passed by a vote of 41-5. The ordinance also ups the fine for resisting police officers or aiding escape from no less than $200 to a max of $1,000. Previously the fine was a minimum of $25 up to $500.
Additionally, the ordinance gives Emanuel contract-granting authority in procurement, bypassing the citys normal bid process, for the summits. Though the special privileges expire July 31, per the ordinance, Hairston and her constituents see the potential for abuse.
Hairston was joined by Aldermen Bob Fioretti (2nd), Will Burns (4th), Sandi Jackson (7th) and Nicholas Sposato (36th) in saying no to the ordinance.
The second ordinance amended the citys special events and recreation laws that deal primarily with parades and demonstrations, changing the citys parks hours to 6 a.m.-11 p.m. (previously 4 a.m. 11 p.m.). The same aldermen, except for Jackson who green-lighted this measure, voted against this ordinance.
Ald. JoAnn Thompson (16th) didnt cast a vote for either issue.
The city expects protestors at the summits, per usual. Protest groups will be required to get a permit from the city and the ordinances passed last week will help to govern their behavior or mete out punishment if laws are broken.
Hairston said the language in the special events and recreation ordinance, especially, has some far reaching effects. She called the fine increase a deterrent not against breaking the law, but in exercising rights to assemble.
My concern is even greater than whats going to happen here in May. Im wondering about what happens with the Teachers Union decides that they want to march, when the labor unions decide that they want to march. Those are some of the things that I am concerned about, she said at the town hall.
State Rep. Ken Dunkin stopped in on the meeting long enough to call the ordinance insane and urge constituents to turn to state lawmakers if recourse against the city ordinance is needed.
Clearly this is a Constitutional issue, he said. Im not sure if this isnt unprecedented in America. Ive never heard of this at all, this highly prohibitive approach.
There were several sore spots for residents speaking out that the town hall. They expressed concerns that Constitutional rights of assembly could be infringed with the ordinances, and they were overly peeved at Emanuels move to have federal law enforcement policing the city.
Since the summits are international events, with foreign leaders and representatives around the world set to attend, they are designated National Security Special Events, according to the mayors press office. With that, the Secret Service handles security decisions. The mayors office anticipates a collaborate effort between CPD and federal law enforcement officials.
Working collaboratively with our federal partners, we will provide public safety services for resident and visitors while fulfilling our obligation to protect the public and enforce the laws of the city, said Emanuel.
Still, deputizing would be a ridiculous expansion of federal authority, Attorney Durkin said. Why anyone would want to be inviting the federal government in to police us is a good question. To have Secret Service handling law enforcement for G8 and NATO, thats a frightening issue for me and should be a frightening issue for anyone who cares about civil liberties.
Christian Buford, 24, doesnt live in Hairstons ward but he was concerned about the powers local and federal police would have and how minorities might be affected. He travelled from his Chicago Lawn community to the meeting to find out what protections would be in place to keep people of color from being unjustly detained or incarcerated, unrelated to the summits.
There is no protection from that, Hairston replied.
By Rhonda Gillespie
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