Racial profiling and Police brutality 
are Discussed at the Oak Park Public Library
 

Emile M. Schepers (Program Director for the Chicago Committee to Defend the
Bill of Rights),  Attorney Standish Willis (Civil Rights Leader and member of
Chicago Conference of Black Lawyers) and Angela Larson (Oak Park member
of the Friends of the People’s Weekly World) all met at the Oak Park Public Library
to address some local concerns of racial profiling and police brutality.

These were regional issues and not directed specifically to Oak Park.  The only
area of concern to most of the speakers involving Oak Park was that Oak Park
does not allow the nature or quantity of police complaints to be made public.
Chicago has these records open to the public, but Oak Park is not open for public
scrutiny.  Mr. Morris Seeskin, Chairman of Citizens Police Oversight Committee
spoke to some of these issues but could not comment on specific cases or amounts
that were reported.  Mr. Seeskin rather spoke about how a person issues a complaint,
either to one of the police, public relations department, Village Board Member, or one
of his committee.  The complaints could either be with your report or could even be
anonymous, in either case they will be investigated and reported to the Village Board.

Concern was noted by several of the speakers on what they felt was the erosion of
4th Amendment to the Bill of Rights.  Attorney Standish Willis remarked on how
“Blacks were over jailed and over policed, more than any other ethnic group in
America”  Mr. Willis further noted that “the 4th Amendment was violated when
Chicago swept all the apartments in the housing projects.”  There was concurrence
from the other speakers and many heads in the audience nodded in agreement.  To
add another dimension to the point Standish Willis stated “You can’t allow the
4th Amendment to be eroded for gangs without having eroded for whites and all
people.”  He paused a moment and looked deep into the audience..” the 
4th Amendment is zero now !!”

Mr.  Willis commented that in the 2 ½ years that the sweeps occurred in the Chicago
Housing Projects some 50,000 persons were arrested and only 3% were ever prosecuted.

The Fourth Amendment to the Bill of Rights reads:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, 
against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants
shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly
describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”

Mr. Emile M. Schepers, who heads an organization designed to help protect our 
Bill of Rights concurred with Mr. Willis and his appraisal of the newly acquired 
police power being used in Chicago.

I know of a “48 year old man on his way to the store who was arrested in a street 
sweep and made a member of the Vice Lords (by Chicago Police arresting officers..) 
and locked up for five weeks.” added Mr. Willis.

“The prison industry is taking the place of the military industrial complex of the
Viet Nam era”, noted Attorney Willis.

Emile Schepers, who lives in Cicero spoke about the police dealings with local
Hispanic youths in his town.  “In my neighborhood the police are some of the 
best gang recruiters there are !”  “The Police swear at, harass and intimidate
the latino youth in my neighborhood.”

Emile M. Schepers
Program Director
Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights
Midwest Regional Office
National Committee Against Repressive Legislation
Suite 807
59 East Van Buren
Chicago, Illinois  60605-1212
312-939-0675

Citizens Police Oversight Committee

The commission was authorized by the Village of Oak Park
on March 18, 1991.  It has seven members which serve a
three year term.  The current liaison to the committee is Trustee
Turner. The Village of Oak Park staff person is Rodney Marion.

The members report directly to the Village of Oak Park’s Trustees
and to no one else.  They are not involved with the Village Manager
or any other staff of the Village.  Their function is to investigate complaints
and advise on a course of action, they are only advisory in their function.
Every complaint though is examined and reported to the Village Board.

Current Members Include:

Rita Anderson
1122 South Grove Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois
386-1934

Daniel Hefner
911 North Grove Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois
858-5609

Clarmarie Keenan
112 North Marion #4
Oak Park, Illinois
848-0846

Richard K. Rogers, Jr.
1041 South Oak Park Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois
386-6538

Terrie A. Rymer
804 South Humphrey
Oak Park, Illinois 
383-4647

Morris Seeskin
Chairman
1046 South Kenilworth Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois
383-0814

Abraham Thompson Jr.
515 North Ridgeland Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois
383-4514

As part of its continuing series of library forums, the Oak Park Friends of 
the People's Weekly World (PWW), a national magazine of labor and people's 
issues,  will host a panel discussion that will explore the roots of police 
brutality and racial profiling.  The discussion, to be held in the Veteran's 
Room of the Oak Park Public Library at 834 W. Lake St., Wednesday, April 26, 
2000, from 7-9 pm,  will feature Oak Park's own Standish Willis; civil rights 
activist, member of the Chicago Conference of Black Lawyers, and leader of 
the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression; Emil Schepers, 
Director of the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights; and Angela 
Larson, Executive Committee member of the Oak Park Communist Party.

The panel will consider recent examples of brutality, racial profiling, the 
prison industrial complex, and community control of police departments. 
According to Dean Christ, a member of the PWW committee, "There will be ample 
time for audience participation.  We urge residents to relate their own 
experiences.  In addition, we will have informational materials available 
providing advice on what to do if you are stopped by the police and how to 
file a complaint with the Oak Park Police Oversight Committee, " Christ said.

The group also hopes to popularize  HR 3981, known as The Law Enforcement 
Trust and Integrity Act of 2000.  The bill, introduced by Congressman John 
Conyers of Michigan, in response to a growing list of instances of police 
brutality and racial profiling, seeks to address, among other points,  law 
enforcement development programs, due process, the study of deaths in 
custody, racial profiling, and police oversight.  Friends of the PWW can be 
reached at 708-524-0291.