What’s New

Julia Kline

A former CPS teacher, Kline is a community organizer, sales and marketing consultant, and voting rights activist. She is a cofounder along with Jocelyn McClelland and Morrow Cleveland of Neighbors Who Vote, which works on voter registration and turnout, cross-neighborhood organizing, and amplifying the work of other groups. 

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer?
Do you have experience interacting with CPD?
Is CPD adequately funded?
CPD reform:
Mental health crises:

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Why are you running for Police District Council?

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Alexander Perez

Perez worked for Aurora’s mayoral department of communications for four years and was the director of community engagement for West Aurora School District 129 for over a year.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
Should the city hire more police officers? No
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Establishing civilian control of the department
Helping the police do a better job
Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

To increase transparency and accountability through modernization of communication and outreach efforts.

Endorsements

Alderperson Pat Dowell

Alderperson Jeanette Taylor

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Coston Plummer

A home care worker and a member of SEIU, United Working Families, and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), Plummer has done community work in Washington Park since 2016.  “I want every neighborhood to have the policing it deserves,” he says, “and I want to be the vessel to my community that helps make that happen.” Alderperson Jeanette Taylor (20th ward) and SEIU have endorsed.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
Do you have experience working in or interacting with government? No
Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Establishing civilian control of the police department
Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I’m running for District Counsel because I want to hold the police accountable for their actions in the 2nd Police District. But I also want to be a vessel for the 2nd Police District. Whatever the 2nd Police District community want me to fight for is what I will be fighting for.

Endorsements

Brandon JohnsonAlderperson Jeanette TaylorSEIU

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Coston Plummer Read More »

Julia KlineReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 4:01 am

A former CPS teacher, Kline is a community organizer, sales and marketing consultant, and voting rights activist. She is a cofounder along with Jocelyn McClelland and Morrow Cleveland of Neighbors Who Vote, which works on voter registration and turnout, cross-neighborhood organizing, and amplifying the work of other groups. 

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer?
Do you have experience interacting with CPD?
Is CPD adequately funded?
CPD reform:
Mental health crises:

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Why are you running for Police District Council?

Read More

Julia KlineReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 4:01 am Read More »

Alexander PerezReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 4:06 am

Perez worked for Aurora’s mayoral department of communications for four years and was the director of community engagement for West Aurora School District 129 for over a year.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
Should the city hire more police officers? No
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Establishing civilian control of the department
Helping the police do a better job
Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

To increase transparency and accountability through modernization of communication and outreach efforts.

Endorsements

Alderperson Pat Dowell

Alderperson Jeanette Taylor

Read More

Alexander PerezReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 4:06 am Read More »

Coston PlummerReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 4:09 am

A home care worker and a member of SEIU, United Working Families, and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), Plummer has done community work in Washington Park since 2016.  “I want every neighborhood to have the policing it deserves,” he says, “and I want to be the vessel to my community that helps make that happen.” Alderperson Jeanette Taylor (20th ward) and SEIU have endorsed.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
Do you have experience working in or interacting with government? No
Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Establishing civilian control of the police department
Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I’m running for District Counsel because I want to hold the police accountable for their actions in the 2nd Police District. But I also want to be a vessel for the 2nd Police District. Whatever the 2nd Police District community want me to fight for is what I will be fighting for.

Endorsements

Brandon JohnsonAlderperson Jeanette TaylorSEIU

Read More

Coston PlummerReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 4:09 am Read More »

Jamie Brown

An attorney, Brown graduated from the Catholic University of America and Columbus School of Law. She was a volunteer advisor for Daniel Biss’s 2018 bid for governor. Brown served on Chicago Votes’ board of directors for three years, served as its president, and is a precinct captain and zoning board community representative in the 25th Ward.

Credit: Kirk Williamson

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Sarah Kammerer

Kammerer worked in Congress and on Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign. She co-founded ChiWomenVote and IllinoisWomenVote and serves on the advisory council of the nonprofit New Politics and on the leadership council of ProPublica.

Credit: Kirk Williamson

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Ephraim Lee

A Navy reservist for 24 years, Lee is pursuing a master’s degree in social work. He is the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy beat 215 facilitator.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? No
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Communicating with the department on behalf of the community
Helping police do a better job
Other: “To act as an honest and trustworthy bridge between the citizens of the district, and the police.”

Why are you running for Police District Council?

“I am running for the Second District Police Council because I believe that there are parts/agencies of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) that lack strong, decisive, leadership, and ethical guidance. For too many years, our police department has failed to champion and live up to a clear and unfettered code of fairness, accountability, and values, throughout the entire department.

This failure of having high standards of professionalism, has placed the department, its members, and the citizens that it has sworn to protect, at odds with one another and this division has led to increased crime, deep-seated anger, and fissures of distrust that have grown over time. I firmly believe that only through a dedicated urgency of transparency, and a renewed focus on justice, fairness, and respect, can these decades of wounds be fully healed. I hope to be a part of this change.”

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Jamie BrownReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 2:59 am

An attorney, Brown graduated from the Catholic University of America and Columbus School of Law. She was a volunteer advisor for Daniel Biss’s 2018 bid for governor. Brown served on Chicago Votes’ board of directors for three years, served as its president, and is a precinct captain and zoning board community representative in the 25th Ward.

Credit: Kirk Williamson

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Jamie BrownReader staffon January 12, 2023 at 2:59 am Read More »