Chicago Police ‘Often Threaten’ to Take Children From Detainees

The Chicago Police Department often threatens to take children away from detainees in order to force them into submission, Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli told Sputnik.

CHICAGO (Sputnik) – Campanelli, a veteran defense attorney, said it is important for the Chicago legal community to remember that they were complicit in the cases of many innocent Chicago detainees becoming prisoners.

"It's common for them to threaten to take kids," Campanelli said. "We are working to change situations like that."

"Many of these cases went to court, and these cases went to a judge where we filed a motion to suppress statements," Campanelli said.

"Judges and prosecutors looked the other way. There are many to blame."

In early May, the Chicago City Council approved a $5.5-million reparations package for some 80 survivors of Chicago police torture at the hands of detectives who served under the command of Jon Burge throughout the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.

The public defender said the Chicago legal community had recognized the problem of torture committed by the Chicago Police Department, and were working to fix the situation.

"It's never too late to change," Campanelli said. "You have to start somewhere."

Campanelli said that through the cases of police torture coming to light, the public has realized what happened and it has grown awareness about possible police misconduct.

"The [Burge] Reparations Ordinance has helped tremendously," Campanelli concluded.

"The cost to the [Cook] county has been unbelievable."

Apart from financial compensation, the Reparations Ordinance called for an official apology, the creation of a medical center for victims and their families, as well as teaching history lessons about the events in Chicago public schools. The Chicago council has complied with the demands. It also gave the victims of police abuse a standing ovation.