Community Safety Project

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May of 2020, there was a push by the residents of Oak Park to examine the Village’s Police Department’s use-of-force polices, police training, technology (i.e. body cameras) and determine the best ways to improve how the police can support the Oak Park community.   

On June 22, 2020, the Village Board passed a resolution in support of the Obama Foundation’s Pledge as part of a national effort to address police violence and systemic racism. The Village sponsored a series of community listening sessions on August 5, 2020 and August 6, 2020 to receive feedback regarding the Village’s Police Department. 

A Request for Proposals for an independent assessment of policing, training, accountability and community engagement of the Oak Park Police Department was issued on October 5, 2020 and an Addendum was issued October 21, 2020. There were seven submissions and on July 12, 2021, two firms were invited to interview with the Village Board. On August 30, 2021, BerryDunn was chosen as the third-party consultant by the Village Board to help achieve the Board’s community safety goals.

In August 2021, BerryDunn began with data collection, preliminary interviews, site visits, community stakeholder engagements and data analysis. BerryDunn presented its Final Report to the Village Board on November 14, 2022. 

Final Recommendations: Click here to read the taskforce's recommendations

Background: Oak Park Village Manager Kevin Jackson has established an Alternative Call Response Taskforce (ACRT) to continue to support the community safety project of Oak Park. The purpose of this taskforce is to bring to the table a wide range of experts, community members, and specialists to advise on an alternative call response model for Oak Park to specifically help individuals suffering from a mental health crisis.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: An alternative call response model for Oak Park must be grounded within diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). For the purpose of this taskforce, there will be three DEI principles that will help shape and support the development of the work.

1. Racial Equity: By centering racial equity, the taskforce understands that race with other marginalized identities must be centered in this process to address the disparities racialized persons experience. 
2. Listening and Learning: The taskforce must commit to listening to one another, listening to community voices, and having an understanding that we all have much to learn from one another. No matter the professional background, education status, etc.
3. Innovation: When serving marginalized communities’ innovation is an essential DEI value to recognize that in order to address disparities will require creative solutions.

Co-Chairs:

Allison Davenport, MBA - Chief Executive Officer, Riveredge Hospital

Allison Davenport has been a passionate leader in the healthcare and hospital management industry for over 15 years. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Riveredge Hospital in Forest Park, the largest free-standing psychiatric facility in the state of Illinois. Davenport previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Brynn Marr Hospital in Jacksonville, NC. As co-chair of the taskforce, Allison is committed to strengthening our community mental health response and serving those in need of support with compassion and dignity. She and her husband are Oak Park residents.

Cheryl Potts - Executive Director, Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township

Cheryl Potts is the executive director of Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township where she oversees the funding of mental health and substance use providers. She has worked in the field of human services for nearly 25 years, beginning in HIV care and housing for the vulnerable and more recently promoting access to care for people living with mental health and substance use disorders. She has dedicated her professional life, and much of her personal life, to being a champion for those who are marginalized in the community. Before the Community Mental Health Board, Cheryl served as the executive director of AMITA Alexian Brothers Housing and Health Alliance, was the executive director of The Kennedy Forum, and participated in numerous local and national committees aimed at eliminating social disparities of health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DePaul University and a Masters’ of Business Administration from North Park University. She is also a person living with a mental health disorder. 

Members:

• Kevin Barnhart - Citizens Police Oversight Committee (CPOC)
• Paula Baker - Community Member
• Grace Martin - Community Member
• Deacon Wiley Samuels - Community Member
• Victoria Perisee-Johns - Community Member
• Lynda Schueler - Housing Forward
• Armando Smith - Housing Forward
• Alan Taylor - Love With Courage
• Carey Carlock - Mosaic Counseling Center
• Kimberly Knake - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Shelly Lustrup - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• John Mayes - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Dr. Ushma Shah - Oak Park Elementary School District 97
• Greg Johnson - Oak Park-River Forest School District 200
• John Harris - Oak Park Homelessness Coalition
• Robert Simmons - Oak Park Library
• Gavin Morgan - Oak Park Township
• Megan Traficano - Oak Park Township
• Jan Arnold - Park District of Oak Park
• Jerrard Walker - PCC Community Wellness Center
• Jenny Doyle - Riveredge Hospital
• Caroline Heskett - Rush Hospital
• Dino Rumoro - Rush Hospital
• Elaine Phillips - Thrive Counseling Center
• Jenni Rook - Thrive Counseling Center
• Sarah Wiemeyer - Thrive Counseling Center
• Candice Martin - Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC)
• Anita Pindiur - Way Back Inn
• Brian Staunton - West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center

• Village Manager's Alternative Call Response Taskforce | Phase I - Mental Health
• BerryDunn's Essential Calls for Service Evaluation