La Grange area League of Women Voters to host ‘Partnership in Policing’ webinar Jan. 14

Tom Weitzel has adhered to an important standard in his 37 years with the Riverside Police Department, the last 12 as chief.

Be open and transparent.

The Riverside chief believes that, now more than ever, police departments need to work in concert with the communities they serve.

“The days of police doing policies without residents are over,” Weitzel said. “We need to seek the input of residents. You pay our salaries. We need to know what works, what you would like to see us do different, what kind of training do we need more of, do you think we need more community engagement.”

To that end, Weitzel next week is participating in an informative webinar with local police departments and community groups in a discussion of police policies and practices regarding equity and diversity.

The program, Partnership in Policing, which will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 14 by Zoom meeting, is presented by the League of Women Voters of the La Grange Area and the CommUNITY Diversity Group of La Grange.

Panelists who will discuss how police and community groups can work collaboratively include Marge Kielczynski, former police sergeant of the La Grange Police Department; Tina Rounds, executive director of BEDS Plus Care; Anna Padron Sikora, vice president of community engagement for Pillars Community Health; and Weitzel.

The event aligns with one of the two main missions of the League of Women Voters, which is to study and spotlight specific contemporary issues. In the past year, protests that swept the nation after the death of a Black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis at the hands of a white police officer and many other similar cases have amplified discussion on criminal justice, how police function within their communities – particularly with people of color – and how they deal with equity and diversity in recruiting and actually responding to calls.

“The forum encompasses so many things,” said Lara Taylor, vice president of the League of Women Voters of the La Grange Area. “We wanted to start this forum as informational. How are you addressing these things in police departments? How are you doing with equity, and how can we do it together? We’re not calling anybody out in terms of asks. This is about how to inform community members, how these things are being addressed, how you are working on things.”

Taylor said the League’s robust criminal justice committee has spent the past four to five years working on issues such as cash bail and restorative justice.

“This is not a new thing for the League of Women Voters to take a deep dive into these issues,” Taylor said. “Since the public has become more aware, it feels more urgent to get this information out. It is so complex and it deserves attention in not just a one-time discussion.”

Weitzel and his department in October took part in an event in Riverside with elected officials in which the public could ask him any questions. Weitzel’s department released a full document, available on the police department’s website, outlining policies, procedures and training documents. He was able to answer questions related to the diversity of the department and the hiring and discipline processes.

“These events are a good way for people to ask questions,” Weitzel said. “We’re not a bubble anymore. Policing has become so regional. We are dealing with our neighbors. The nature of what we’re doing takes us out of our jurisdiction. I’m happy that La Grange is doing this.”

The events of the past year have led to a rising call for police reform, and while Weitzel noted that his department always has been in compliance with state and federal mandates, they have had policies redeveloped, reiterating that they will do more training on mental health and de-escalation.

“There is no doubt that there is change in America. Any chief that tells you that there is not change coming is wrong,” Weitzel said. “There is going to be federal changes.”

One significant move that Weitzel advocates for is a national use of force policy.

“To me, that is a must and it is achievable,” Weitzel said. “There is some that will push back but we need a national policy. And you know where it starts out is the police academy. If we don’t get them proper training when they’re in basic recruit training, we’re failing them.”

Also participating in the event will be Hinsdale Chief of Police Brian King and Paul Scott from the DuPage National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

“We’re hoping we can give a voice to concerns people have,” Taylor said. “There has been a lot of discussion about BLM [Black Lives Matter], and what police should and shouldn’t do. We’re hoping to get some clarification. What does it mean to defund [the police]? What does diversity and equity mean and how are people working on these issues? We wanted to give a voice to people that are talked about, but not necessarily to engage in division but to think about the complexities of equity and diversity.”

The public is encouraged to suggest questions for the panelists before the event. Questions can be sent to LaGrangeLWV@gmail.com. The event is free but registration is required by going to https://tinyurl.com/y98zcra4.

For information, email league@lagrangearealwv.org or go to www.lagrangearealwv.org.