Rescinding the Thin Blue Line Ban in Niles

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

In the summer of 2020 after concerns regarding the racist thin blue line ("blue lives matter") symbol worn by Niles police came to light, the face masks were banned. This was a direct result of a campaign[1] brought by the Northwest Side Coalition Against Racism and Hate. News media coverage included an article in Journal & Topics[2] where Chairperson Robert Moore of the NAACP was quoted saying:

“the Thin Blue Line symbol has come to mean opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement and is aligned with the “Blue Lives Matter” movement. When I get stopped, and I know what that blue line means from my perspective, that doesn’t build trust,”

WGN TV also did a news story[3] interviewing a Black Niles resident:

“I think they should ban them from wearing them. They are supposed to protect and serve. It’s not about them, it’s about the community they protect and serve that means everyone, not just themselves.”

To correct for this racist behavior the Northwest Side Coalition Against Racism and Hate recommended three reforms to mitigate any future reoccurrence.

1. Create and fund a permanent Office of Equity and Racial Justice to craft and implement a Racial Equity Assessment and Plan for the Village of Niles.  

2. Elect a Civilian Police Accountability Council to ensure democratic control over the police.

3. Mandate effective annual anti-racism training for all elected officials and village employees.

These were delivered via a public comment [4] and brought to the attention of the Community Relations Commission[5].

Now a year later Chief Luis Tigera issued a press release rescinding the order banning the thin blue line mask for one day.[6] This is a violation of the public trust and a continued pattern of malfeasance exhibited by a hostile anti-social police force.

We request the press release and any supporting documentation regarding rescinding the ban on the thin blue line face mask for one day. Please include all written records/communications (including but not limited to hard-copy documents, memos, emails, text messages, word processor documents, PDF documents, PowerPoint files, etc.).

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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[1]An Open Letter to Niles Police Department, Northwest Side Coalition Against Racism & Hate <https://web.archive.org/web/20210228093219/https://www.nwscoalition.com/open_letter_niles_pd/>
[2]Niles Police End Use Of ‘Thin Blue Line’ Masks, Journal & Topics <https://web.archive.org/web/20210701203811/https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/niles-police-end-use-of-thin-blue-line-masks/>
[3]Niles says police officers can no longer use ‘Thin Blue Line’ masks, WGN TV <https://web.archive.org/web/20210117232322/https://wgntv.com/news/niles-says-police-officers-can-no-longer-use-thin-blue-line-masks/>
[4] Village of Niles Board of Trustees Regular Meeting - Electronic Meeting (timestamp 1:26:45) <https://play.champds.com/nilesil/event/108>
[5] Community Relations Commission public meeting minutes 12/10/2020 <https://web.archive.org/web/20210623165458/https://www.vniles.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_12102020-2037>
[6] Niles VFW, Police, Hold Separate Ceremonies Honoring 20th Anniversary Of 9/11, Journal & Topics <https://web.archive.org/web/20210915123129/https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/niles-vfw-police-hold-separate-ceremonies-honoring-20th-anniversary-of-9-11/>

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Northwestside Coalition