The hearing stretched beyond three hours and was at times contentious.
Discussion regarding punishment for officers who violate use-of-force standards and ending qualified immunity were tabled for later hearings so that training, hiring and accountability practices would remain the focus of the hearing.
Individuals from the American Civil Liberties Union and the University of Illinois at Chicago gave conflicting testimony to that of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in regard to appropriate use of force and racism and white supremacy infiltrating and affecting police departments.
They also disagreed on the degree to which the “Blue Wall” — an alleged phenomenon where officers will not report other officers who have broken the law or engaged in gross misconduct — is a problem in law enforcement.
All parties agreed on the need for more data, with many noting it is problematic that reporting on use-of-force varies for each department and jurisdiction. Both law enforcement representatives and police-reform activists requested that universal standards for reporting use-of-force be codified into law, as well as making enforcement data more accessible for study by public institutions and legislative bodies.
“We must prioritize transparency, and believe me folks, I have looked for the research, looked for the data. A lot of it simply is not there because we have not demanded and required that police departments throughout this state issue that data and submit those reports,” Slaughter said at the news conference prior to the hearing.
