SOUTH CHICAGO — Five candidates are vying for seats on the South Chicago (4th) police district council. The district includes parts of South Chicago, Avalon Park, East Side, South Deering and Hegewisch.
Meet the hopefuls below.
Credit: Kirk Williamson for the Chicago ReaderMeridth Vanae Hammer
An attorney in real estate law, contract law, and trust and estate planning, Hammer is founder and CEO of an Indianapolis real estate law firm. She served as deputy general counsel to the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, where she advised on investigatory and contract matters. Hammer ran for Cook County judge in the 2022 primary.
Hammer says she’s running because she believes the whole community should be brought into a discussion around public safety with CPD and elected officials. She also says police officers need mental health crisis response training — and at the very least, training on how to recognize when a person is having a crisis. She wants a part of the police department’s funding to be redirected to that and other wraparound services, including “restorative justice programs, conflict resolution and crisis management training, partnering with community-based violence interrupter initiatives and reentry programs and organizations for the formerly incarcerated.”
 Activist or organizer |  Supports more police accountability |
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? No answer.†
- CPD reform: The police need significant reform.
- Mental health crises: Police should accompany health care workers to mental health crises.
*I think the City of Chicago should replace police officers to maintain the current levels. But I don’t think the city needs to add more spots/positions and then hire more police officers to fill those vacancies.
†I believe some CPD funds need to be redirected to wrap around services like mental health crises response training, restorative justice programs, conflict resolution and crisis management training, partnering with community-based violence interrupter initiatives and reentry programs/organizations for the formerly incarcerated.
What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?
The police district council members are elected officials. Their primary role is to serve as the voice of their community, holding the police accountable and ensuring public safety of the community/district.
Why are you running for Police District Council?
I am running for the 4th Police District Council because I want to bring the community voice to the front and center on the issues of Public Safety and Police Accountability. I will work to ensure the police are held accountable for how they show up in my community. I will work to help provide mental health care services to the community and police officers, opportunities for employment, and safe and affordable housing. I believe the community working together with the Chicago Police Department, faith-based community, businesses, elected officials and other community stakeholders will be able to identify the shared problems we face and develop solutions to them that will allow us to heal, serve the most vulnerable in our community, and foster economic development ultimately resulting in a safe, thriving ecosystem.
Julio Miramontes
A community organizer and social infrastructure engineer, Miramontes was formerly Tenth Ward alderperson Susan Sadlowski Garza’s director of community engagement and government affairs. He cofounded the Southeast Side of Chicago Food Pantry and helped establish the United Neighbors of the Tenth Ward Independent Political Organization.
The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.
Supports more police accountability |
Lovie Bernard
Bernard joined the Black Panther Party as a teenager and was one of the first patients at the Party’s free clinic. She says she remembers viewing the aftermath of the CPD assassination of Fred Hampton and attending his funeral. Since 2021, she has worked as an assistant to Seventh Ward alderperson Greg Mitchell. Mitchell has endorsed.
The candidate has not yet responded to our questionnaire.
Activist or organizer | Supports more police accountability |  Political endorsement |
Gloria Jenkins
A resident of Calumet Heights, Jenkins did not respond to requests for comment. Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th) has endorsed.
Political endorsement |
Brenda Waters
A healthcare worker for almost 50 years, Waters is the president of Friends of Merrill Park and serves on the Merrill Park Advisory Council through the Park District. She told the Reader her sister was shot in the back by CPD in the 1990, but survived. If elected, she says she’ll “insist on building stronger connections between police and the community and getting community input” on policing.
Supports more police accountability |
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? No
- Should the city hire more police officers? Yes
- Is CPD adequately funded? No answer
- CPD reform: The police need training and some reform.
- Mental health crises: Police should accompany healthcare professionals to mental health crises.
What do you consider the primary role of a police district councilor to be?
(No response)
Why are you running for Police District Council?
(No response)
