Good morning. Thank you Chairman, Committee Chairs, the Committees on Public Safety and Human Relations, and the other members of the council for the opportunity to address you today.

I recognize the seriousness of the events that brought us together today and welcome the opportunity to answer your questions about some of the most important issues facing the Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicago.

As a lifelong resident of the City and a 29-year veteran of the Police Department, I care about our future and the future of the men and women of the Chicago Police Department.

As the Mayor acknowledged in his speech last week, an independent panel of industry experts along with the United States Justice Department have begun their work to closely scrutinize our policies and practices.

Like the Mayor, I welcome these investigations and pledge the full cooperation of my office and the entire Department.

I believe it will make our department stronger and better, it will help rebuild trust in the men and women who work hard as officers every day, and ultimately make us better at fighting crime and keeping our communities safe.

We as a department must confront these challenges, and in this role I intend to lead us forward.

 

Click here to read entire Prepared Testimony of Interim Superintendent of Police John Escalante