The Chicago Police Department (CPD) recently agreed to allow for independent evaluations of stop & frisks conducted by CPD officers. This move is in response to the critics who claim the Chicago Police Department officers target African-Americans and other minorities when conducting random stop & frisks.
The Chicago Police Department allowed for this concession in an agreement it made with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The agreement requires more training for officers and requires better public disclosure of the pat-downs (stop & frisks) that place. Officers will have to submit paperwork with, among other things, their own names, the gender and race of all persons stopped and provide reasons for stop & frisks, something not done before.
As part of the agreement, a former U.S. Magistrate Judge, Arlander Keys, will issue 2 reports each year on the pat downs that take place in the city and their legality. The Chicago Police Department praises that this move was made out of court, and not due to a court order, hoping to show the community the police are working hard to improve community relations.
Much of these changes arose from an ACLU report that showed a significantly large percentage of stop & frisks, nearly 3/4 of African Americans, despite the fact they make up only approximately 1/3 of the city population.
Currently, there are still lawsuits pending against the Chicago Police Department based on past allegedly illegal stop & frisks. Whether the new agreement and change in procedures will help or harm these suits is still up for debate. However, the changes were immediate, and hopefully future illegal stops will be limited.