CHICAGO (WLS) — Six years ago, a botched raid by Chicago police put the spotlight on department tactics, and caused a great deal of embarrassment for the city.
On Friday, Anjanette Young, who was the victim of that raid, said she is not giving up her fight to pass a law to change police policy, despite delays.
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But, there have been some sticking points over getting an ordinance passed.
Mayor Brandon Johnson campaigned on passing the so-called Anjanette Young ordinance. But, two years later, it is still stuck in negotiations. Now, Young and advocates are ramping up the pressure to get something done.
“Six years since I stood before officers crying, pleading, afraid, only to be ignored,” Young said during a news conference Friday morning.
On the anniversary of the traumatic raid on her home by Chicago police who had the wrong address, Young is still fighting for a law that will govern how police conduct raids.
“Mayor Johnson continues to voice his commitment to the ordinance. But, yet, it has not happened,” Young said.
“It seemed pretty easy to fix, and here we are, six years later, still waiting for that no-brainer fix,” said state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat who represents the North Side.
The delay centers around two things: how long police should have to wait to enter after knocking and protecting younger children from having guns pointed at them, as happened to 9-year-old Peter Mendez and his younger brother during a wrongful raid in 2017.
“Give people 30 seconds. We’re just asking for 30 seconds. We think it is unconscionable to have to fight to ask somebody to not point guns at children,” 49th Ward Ald. Maria Hadden said.
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But while language in the Anjanette Young ordinance is still being worked out, a bill has been filed in Springfield to ban no-knock raids for low-level offenses and require a 30-second delay.
But, from the police perspective, mandatory delays are not practical or safe.
Anthony Riccio is a former first deputy superintendent of Chicago police. Now he’s director of public safety for Monterey Security.
“By giving somebody inside the apartment 30 seconds before you enter, you’re giving them time to either dispose of evidence or hide the evidence,” Riccio said.
It also poses a danger to officers, by giving someone inside time to arm themselves.
“They can get a gun; they can get a knife. They can get other, some other kind of a weapon, and when the police officers make entry, injure the police officers or kill the police officers,” Riccio said.
But, advocates contend that something has to change to protect people like Young.
“The old way of doing things has done nothing but cost lives, dignity, sanctity, mental health, and, quite frankly, the city of Chicago millions and millions and millions of dollars,” Young’s attorney Keenan Saulter said.
“So, Mayor Johnson, I’m saying to you on today: I want you to keep your promise. We deserve a better, stronger and safer Chicago, and that includes police accountability,” Young said.
Young said she is not confident that an ordinance will get passed anytime in the near future, but she said she is confident she will stay at the negotiating table until it does.
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