Chicago youth create standards

for police conduct with "Youth Bill of Rights"

In response to a poor relationship between youth and Chicago police, Albany Park Neighborhood Council youth leaders formed “Project Y” – a new campaign designed to push a youth agenda in the community.

"We want better police conduct and for youth to have respect,” said Project Y leader Eric Alvarez. 

In mid-winter, over 100 youth gathered for a meeting with Chicago and Illinois public officials to win commitments on police conduct and after school violence.

At the meeting they unveiled a “Youth Bill of Rights” that outlined the mission of Project Y and responsibilities of both youth and police to keep their neighborhood safe.

The “Youth Bill of Rights” came out of two public meetings in late 2002 addressing police harassment of youth. Many youth leaders felt the police were extending their powers around the hours of curfew and around the immediate surrounding areas of school. After these meetings, youth came up with the Youth Bill of Rights to hold both police officials and young people accountable for their actions.

“Our Bill of Rights is simple,” said Project Y leader Christopher Rodriguez. “It says that youth have the right to not be verbally abused, youth have the right to a translator, youth have the right to not be asked what country they come from, and youth have the right to not be asked citizenship status.”

Youth also used the meeting to promote demands for additional police at local high schools and security cameras to prevent future shootings and stabbings that had been plaguing neighborhood schools.

Youth leaders won a meeting with the top police official in Albany Park, Police Commander Sam Christian, in January to commit to increasing school safety and to support and enforce Project Y’s “Youth Bill of Rights" and to create a system to monitor police conduct regarding youth.

“The commander agreed to our demands and we are starting to make progress,” said Armando Perez, a freshman and a Project Y youth leader. The commander agreed to regular meetings, to publicly support the Youth Bill of Rights, and to increase patrols at Roosevelt High School.

Project Y leaders are also working on securing more opportunities for immigrant students to attend college. From working on a state policy change to allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition to partnering with universities to increase resources to local high schools, APNC has launched significant campaigns to address youth issues.

“This is the beginning,” said Elizabeth Arroyo. “We are doing a lot of things. And these things are benefiting everyone. Our voice is important.”

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