Welcome to the Reader’s morning briefing for Monday, May 9, 2016.
- Weather: Chilly, with rain possible
After a beautiful Mother’s Day, the warm weather vanishes with a high of 56 and a low of 52. It will be cloudy, and showers are possible. [AccuWeather]
- Survey: Chicago is “deeply divided” by “race, class and neighborhood”
Chicago may be divided, but according to a survey conducted by the New York Times and the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are a few things that unite the city post Laquan McDonald: strong dislike of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the belief that the city is headed in the wrong direction. Distrust of the police, schools, and courts, and fear of violence were also cited as major problems. [New York Times]
- CPD’s top Jewish cop is the “middle man” in the Department of Justice probe
Chicago Police Department commander Marc Buslik straddles two worlds as he helps the Department of Justice get the records and information it needs from the police and provides the feds with insight into how the force works. In an insightful interview with the Jewish-American newspaper Forward, Buslik talks about “straddling the sometimes-electrified fence,” being CPD’s only Jewish commander, tackling the issues facing the department, and rebuilding trust between the police and the community. [Forward]
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Remembering the Christina Eilman case ten years later
It’s been ten years since Christina Eilman’s tragic trip to Chicago from her native California. After being arrested at a CTA station and spending a night in jail, the then-21-year-old was released by police into Englewood, where she was abducted, then fell or was pushed seven stories from a Robert Taylor Homes building. Eilman, who already suffered from mental illness, was left paralyzed and brain damaged. The city paid her family $22.5 million to settle a lawsuit in 2013. [Tribune]
- Police will be equipped with 2,000 more body cameras
CPD has been testing the cameras in one police district on the northwest side, according to Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who says the cameras are helping the department rebuild trust. Complaints have dropped so much that the department will be rolling out 2,000 more body cameras in seven more districts by the summer. [NBC5 Chicago]
- Social media threat against Jones College Prep leads to increased security
A threat against Jones College Prep High School in the South Loop was posted on Instagram, and although authorities don’t think it’s legitimate, there will be additional officers at the school Monday. A picture of a gun was posted with the caption, “I decided to make sure school starts with a bang” and “I like to kill.” [ABC 7 Chicago]