Aug. 07--Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, acknowledging he's had "good and bad" experiences with the ACLU, expressed confidence Friday in the landmark agreement negotiated with the group that calls for reforms to how officers conduct street stops.
"I've got to tell you, I'm pleased with the results," McCarthy said of the agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union, saying it could be the first of its kind in the country. "Working with the ACLU is a very positive thing."
At a news conference at the O'Hare Hilton, where he is attending a meeting of police chiefs from around the country, McCarthy defended the constitutionality of the hundreds of thousands of street stops his officers make.
As he did in an interview with the Tribune on Thursday, McCarthy raised concerns that the agreement will mean officers will need to take more time to record all their pat-downs in addition to street stops. He called the process "cumbersome."
"Just think about it -- if an officer is spending more time doing paperwork, he's spending less time doing police work," McCarthy said. "Quite frankly, that is a problem."
Dean Angelo, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, questioned the agreement in a Tribune interview, saying he was concerned if officers have to spend more time off the street filling out paperwork that it could impact the department's fight against violence.
McCarthy said he has not spoken to Angelo yet about that contention.
But the superintendent said there's a "trade-off" that the added data collection will bring.
"It goes to our legitimacy" with the community, McCarthy said.
He praised Arlander Keys, a retired federal magistrate judge who was appointed to oversee the implementation of the agreement and recommend improvements in department policy and training concerning street stops and pat-downs.
"He's going to be incredibly fair," McCarthy said. "I have high regard for the judge."
rsobol@tribpub.com
