Lincoln (20th) Police District Council Candidates

LINCOLN SQUARE — Five candidates are seeking the Lincoln (20th) police district council seats. The district includes parts of Lincoln Square, Uptown, Edgewater, Andersonville and Ravenswood.

Patrick McNeil

A retired foreign service officer who has worked at seven U.S. embassies and consulates and with the U.S. State Department, McNeil is a regular at 20th District CAPS meetings. His platform includes promoting responsible policing, engaging the community, and advocating for maintaining CPD funding.

Independent Voters of Illinois–Independent Precinct Organization has endorsed.

Candidate questionnaire responses

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? No
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
Do you have experience working or interacting with government? No
Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should stay about the same.
CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I am concerned that those running will represent the most extreme positions relating to policing, from “defunders” on one side to police union stooges on the other. We need robust civilian oversight of police, but in a way that works with police and does not demonize them. We need more police—better police.

Darrell Dacres

The program manager for ONE Northside’s Communities Partnering for Peace program in Rogers Park and Uptown, Dacres has worked in violence prevention since 2012, when his friend was killed and he was wounded in a shooting. Dacres is running in a slate with Deirdre O’Connor and Anna Rubin.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) and the ONE People’s Campaign have endorsed the slate.

Candidate questionnaire responses

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
Should the city hire more police officers? No
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare workers to mental health crises.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

In my community, I’m the voice of people who feel they don’t have one.

Deirdre O’Connor

O’Connor served as a precinct captain for 15 years and did election campaign work for 40th ward alderperson Andre Vasquez. She says, “We are in a special position to reimagine the notion of policing by the community, for the community.” O’Connor is running in a slate with Darrell Dacres and Anna Rubin.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) and the ONE People’s Campaign have endorsed the slate.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
Should the city hire more police officers? No
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Establishing civilian control of the police department

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I am deeply rooted and committed to making my community more engaged and inclusive. As someone who grew up in Chicago, I have seen firsthand the strain between communities and police. As I have spent time canvassing, I know that public safety is the most asked-about issue at the doors. I know that in the 20th District neighbors are concerned about the increased criminal activity and understand the urgency for systemic change.

I also know that there are neighbors that believe we need more police on the streets. I am running to help communicate to neighbors the real-time facts of the crime statistics, and the breakdown in communication between what we see in the media and what is occurring in the neighborhoods. In turn, I hope to work to break the stereotypes and racially charged language that surrounds public safety. I believe we are in a unique position to help reshape our idea of policing from the community for the community.

Anna Rubin

An organizer with the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Rubin has worked to pass policies around immigration and economic justice issues. She says she’s “committed to listening to what our communities need and bringing those ideas forward as concrete policy and funding proposals.” Rubin is running in a slate with Deirdre O’Connor and Darrell Dacres.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) and the ONE People’s Campaign have endorsed the slate.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? No
Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
Should the city hire more police officers? No
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police should be defunded or abolished.
Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Establishing civilian control of the police department
Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

While working at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, I’ve had the opportunity to see the incredible work that GAPA, CPAC, and ECPS coalition partners put in to get this ordinance passed. I want to fill this position as someone committed to listening to what our communities need and bringing those ideas forward as concrete policy and funding proposals.

I feel relatively safe when it comes to interacting with Chicago police officers, and I feel ready to use my feeling of relative safety to interact with the police and related agencies to provide community perspective. I want to live in a city where I know not only I am safe, but my friends and neighbors are safe no matter their identities or experiences.

Joshua D’Antonio

A socialist organizer, D’Antonio works with CAARPR and has been involved in the fight for community control of the police for five years.

Candidate questionnaire responses:

Do you have experience as an activist or community organizer? Yes
Do you have experience interacting with CPD? Yes
Do you have experience working or interacting with government? Yes
Should the city hire more police officers? No
Is CPD adequately funded? Yes: funding should be reduced.
CPD reform: The police should be defunded or abolished.
Mental health crises: Police should not be involved in mental health crisis calls at all.

What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?

Establishing civilian control of the police department
Communicating with the department on behalf of the community

Why are you running for Police District Council?

I have been organizing for police accountability since 2017, starting with the campaign for full community control of the police. I have spoken with countless neighbors recount their own horror stories with policing and have seen the negative effects that these interactions have. Our neighborhoods are safe not because there is an abundance of police, but because our needs and those of our communities are met.

Every person in Chicago deserves to live in a safe community and we need a District Council member who will not back down or be intimidated by the Fraternal Order of the Police, or anyone else who would stop us from achieving a better, more equitable Chicago. Now that we have ECPS, I want to continue this effort and provide excellent services & resources to my neighbors so we can live in peace together.