City Council committee takes up on Anjanette Young Ordinance

The City Council Public Safety Committee is expected to vote on the Anjanette Young Ordinance Thursday.

The ordinance is named for the woman whose home was wrongly raided by Chicago police in February of 2019. The ordinance was first introduced to the City Council last year.

Young testified Thursday morning in person in front of the committee. She said she wants to make sure no one has to go what she went through.

WATCH: Anjanette Young testifies before City Council committee

The committee is considering an ordinance that would go beyond search warrant reforms already adopted by CPD.

It would ban the use of no-knock warrants and ensure the use of officers’ body-worn cameras.

It would also include measures to make sure police confirm whether or not the actual target of an investigation lives in the home police plan to raid and avoid raids when children are present.

Back in February of 2019, Young, who is a social worker, was in the middle of changing her clothes when officers raided her house.

She said she was left naked and handcuffed for 40 minutes despite pleas to officers to allow her to put her clothes on.

The person they were searching for lived next door and later police learned they had bad information.

Young settled a lawsuit with the city for $2.9 million.

Alderperson Maria Hadden said the ordinance also includes language that would demand that the city be transparent with information on wrongful raids.

However, opponents said the ordinance could prevent officers from being able to respond to quickly changing circumstances and could put them in danger.

Imagine it was your mother who was standing there,” Young said. “None of us would have wanted our mother to have that type of experience. But guess what, I am someone’s mother. See me in that frame. See me as your mother, someone who deserves Dignity and respect regardless of the situation.”

Hadden said the ordinance has 20 co-sponsors from City Council and hopes that the ordinance will pass through the committee Thursday when they take a vote.

“I think it’s important for people to know that these aren’t high standards, they are best practices,” Hadden said. “They’re basic recommendations and if people aren’t performing these things, they probably shouldn’t be doing their jobs.”

This is a make-or-break day for the measure. If it doesn’t pass through the committee, it would not head to the full City Council for a vote.