STOP ACT Fact Sheet

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What’s the Harm with Stop and Frisk?

Stops and frisks are the police tactics that affect the largest number of Chicagoans.
Many of the people stopped have committed no crime. In the summer of 2014, CPD conducted more than 250,000 stops of individuals who were not arrested.[1]
In summer 2014, Chicagoans were stopped more than four times as often as New Yorkers at the height of NYPD’s stop and frisk practice.
“Black Chicagoans were subjected to 72% of all stops, yet constitute just 32% of the city’s population.”
- In police districts where the population is mostly white, people of color were still stopped disproportionately frequently to the number of people of color living in those districts.
Studies have found that people who have been stopped and frisked are often traumatized by the experience, particularly when they are unfairly accused of engaging in criminal activity.

Does the CPD Collect and Publish Stop and Frisk Data Already?

The CPD records a limited amount of information about the stops it conducts.
The CPD does not record whether a frisk or search took place following a stop, nor does it require officers to document the justification for any frisks or searches conducted.
The CPD does not record information on a stop and/or frisk when the person is arrested or given a ticket or summons.
The CPD does not make this limited information and data accessible to the public.

What Will the STOP Ordinance Do

Require the CPD to collect and share data on the location, reason, result, and demographic information for all individuals (including perceived race, age, and gender) stopped and/or frisked.
Require the CPD to record whether a frisk or search was conducted and the justification.
Require the CPD to record the outcome and disposition of all stops, including recovery of contraband, arrest, or issuance of tickets or summonses.
Require the CPD to provide a receipt to the person stopped and/or frisked that includes the name and badge number of the officers involved in the interaction.
Require the CPD to record whether a search was conducted pursuant to consent, and if so, to inform the individual of their right to refuse consent and document such consent in writing.
Require the CPD to make all of this information publicly available in quarterly reports.

Why is the STOP ACT Necessary?

To enable meaningful oversight of CPD’s stop and frisk practices to determine if they are being effectively and fairly used to deter criminal conduct.
To monitor and determine if Black people and other people of color are being unfairly targeted and harmed by stop and frisk practices in Chicago.

If SB1304 Becomes Law, Why Do We Still Need the STOP ACT?

Illinois Senate Bill 1304	STOP ACT
Requires police departments to keep records of stops that resulted in frisks, searches, arrests, or issuance of summonses or tickets, not all stops.	Requires CPD to record all stops.
Requires police departments to issue receipts for stops that resulted in a frisk or search.	Requires CPD to provide receipts to all people who were stopped and/or frisked.
Does not require police to inform people of their right to refuse to consent to a search.	Requires CPD to inform people that they have a right not to consent to a search and to obtain written proof of that consent.

Why Should the STOP ACT Be Passed Now?

SB1304 will already require the CPD to overhaul its policies on keeping stop and frisk data and sharing it with the public by January 2016.
The STOP ACT will require the CPD to record all of the necessary information on all stops and all frisks conducted to ensure all of these practices are being used fairly and effectively.

[1]ACLU-IL website, http://www.aclu-il.org/stop-and-frisk-in-chicago1/. All facts regarding CPD Stop and Frisk demographics and rates are taken from Stop and Frisk in Chicago, ACLU of Illinois (March 2015).