Sims commends approval of consent decree to reform Chicago Police Department

CHICAGO—State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) commends the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the City of Chicago and Chicago Police Department (CPD) on their work and negotiations that resulted in the approval of a consent decree to reform the department.

“I applaud the efforts that made this consent decree possible,” Sims said. “The trust between Chicagoans and police has been strained for various reasons, including the lack of accountability for bad actors within the department. This is a key step to help rebuild police-community relations in this great city,” said Sims.

The consent decree requires changes in CPD’s policies, practices, training and accountability practices to address the use of force, ensure police accountability, increase public and officer safety, and strengthen the relationship between CPD and Chicago residents.

Judge Robert M. Dow approved the decree on Thursday and will enforce it. An independent monitor will assess CPD’s progress in implementing the requirements until the city and CPD have fully complied with the decree.

“I will be following public reports issued by the independent monitoring team, and I look forward to seeing the results of the consent decree throughout Chicago, especially within the 17^th District,” said Sims.

You can read the full decree here.

State of the District this THURSDAY

The State of the District town hall is this THURSDAY! I look forward to having an open discussion about what I've been working on over the past year. I'm also interested in hearing your thoughts and concerns, so I can best serve the 17th District. See you there!

State grant provides millions in tax relief for South Suburbs

SPRINGFIELD – Property taxes will be lower for some homeowners and business owners in South Suburban communities thanks to a new state grant program that seeks to lift some of the burden on school districts that are heavily taxed.

The Property Tax Relief Grant is part of the education funding reform package that has been put in place to level the playing field to better serve struggling school districts.

“For far too long struggling communities were faced with paying higher property taxes in an attempt to provide students in the area a quality education, and more often than not the students still weren’t receiving adequate resources,” State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) said. “Going forward this program will provide the relief necessary to help keep families in Illinois and boost local economies.”

Local school districts that are eligible for the grant include: 

• Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215: $1,906,225.40
• Lansing School District 158: $1,836,888.06
• Bloom Township High School District 206: $2,168,029.38

Eligible school districts must submit an abatement resolution to their county clerks by March 30 to receive the grant. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will then give the money to the school districts once they have received all of the abatement certificates.

“This grant program is a crucial step to help change how we fund the education of our future leaders,” Sims said. “It is high time we shift some of the burden from property tax payers to the state in order to help provide a quality education to every student in Illinois, regardless of where they live.”

More information on the Property Tax Relief Grant and a listing of each eligible school district can be found at www.ISBE.net/proptaxrelief.

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