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Our work in the accountability movement:
In 2021, the GAPA Coalition worked WITH CAARPR And the Chicago City Council to Create and pass the Empowering Communities for Public Safety Ordinance.
The ordinance was an important step forward for real police accountability and civilian-led oversight but we're just getting started!
Our accountability partners
MORE ABOUT:
GAPA came together in the summer of 2016 in direct response to the Police Accountability Task Force’s recommendation to develop a Community Safety Oversight Board, allowing the community to have a powerful platform and role in the police oversight system.
From the very beginning, GAPA Was driven by the community. In 2016, the coalition brought together more than 1650 residents in 19 “Community Conversations” across the city to provide an opportunity for a broad and diverse group of Chicagoans to express their concerns about the Chicago Police Department.
Integrating the stories, experiences, and recommendations of community members, GAPA developed an ordinance that proposed a two-tiered structure for shifting power to Chicago residents and holding CPD accountable: a city-wide Community Commission and District Councils in each of Chicago’s 22 police districts.
THIs ordinance was passed and went into effect in 2021.
Now, GAPA groups touch more than 30 wards, including neighborhoods that are most directly affected by violence and police brutality, misconduct, and harassment.
GAPA works to ensure that directly impacted community members, especially those in Black and Brown communities that are most affected by police misconduct, lead our work to implement lasting solutions around public safety.