CHICAGO (October 30, 2018) – ”The most single most effective element of police reform is to create a department in which transparency is valued and accountability is understood; in which service to community supersedes protecting a fellow officer from discipline, and in which the majority of excellent officers are not held back by the few bad ones.
Officers like Jason Van Dyke can’t exist when good officers don’t fear telling the truth and actions like the killing of Laquan McDonald can’t happen when even bad officers are compelled to uphold better standards by their peers.
History tells us the cover up is worse than the crime, and in this case, the culture of cover ups enabled the crime. The charges against these officers will help to break down the code of silence that holds back our best officers and interferes with the police mission to serve and protect all of our people. It will take a step toward accountability and restoring trust between our police and our people.”