Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, and Atty. Lewis Myers announced Dec. 10 that they will petition the International Olympic Committee to reject Chicago?s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games if the city does not implement immediate reforms to stop police brutality and investigate police misconduct. Photos: Kenneth Muhammad/ A recently released report from the University of Chicago concludes many issues leading to unchecked use of excessive force in the past are not remedied, resulting in continued cases of brutality and corruption.

“The Olympics can be a point of leverage for people in this city that have not been able to get direct action by the city (officials) to say that the world must know the kind of city this is,” said Rev. Sharpton at a press conference at City Hall on Dec. 10.

Rev. Sharpton said a planning and action committee will meet here Dec. 29. If Mayor Richard M. Daley and city officials have not taken “definite concrete steps” to deal with police misconduct an escalation in activities may occur, including contacting members of the IOC to inform them of police abuses that include false arrest, harassment, unlawful detainment and unjustified deaths.

“I think you have police problems everywhere, but never have I seen a city where it is so blatant that nobody ever gets prosecuted.I mean nobody,” Rev. Sharpton told The Final Call. “You just pay, but there is no crime,” he added.

Rev. Marshall Hatch, of the West Side’s Greater Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, said $47 million in judgments have been awarded to victims of police brutality and misconduct in 2007. Over the last 10 years, $127 million of taxpayer money has been awarded in civil judgments against officers, who are generally still on active duty, he added.

Critics of Mayor Daley suggest his cozy relationship with the police department is connected to his tenure as Illinois states attorney, which includes the infamous reign of Commander Jon Burge. Commander Burge, according to the sworn testimony and complaints by victims and court records, used torture techniques such as cattle prods, electrical shocks to the ears, arms and genitalia of suspects, handcuffed suspects to hot radiators and suffocated suspects with plastic bags in the late 1970s.The suspects, mostly Black males, were subjected to torture to coerce confessions.

A recently released report from the University of Chicago concludes many issues leading to unchecked use of excessive force in the past are not remedied, resulting in continued cases of brutality and corruption.

“Those are not just crimes, they are international human rights violations,” said Atty. Joey L. Mogul of the People’s Law Office. “But we’re not just talking about crimes and violations that have taken place in the past.As we all know, Black and Brown people are shot, tased, killed and abused on Chicago streets every day.Those actions must be prevented, they must be deterred and the city of Chicago has an obligation to prevent these violations.”

Since announcing the formation of a Chicago chapter of the National Action Network in August, Rev. Sharpton has been active in protests against police misconduct. He also felt the need to address the concerns of critics who branded him an “outsider.”

“You’re not inviting (just) Chicagoans to come to the Olympics, you are inviting the world to come to the Olympics and we have the ability to communicate with the world and since I live in the world, it becomes a world issue that is centered in Chicago,” said Rev. Sharpton.

Atty. Lewis Myers expressed little hope that Mayor Daley, would respond to a list of 10 proposed recommendations, which include rejecting newly chosen police superintendent J.P. “Jody” Weiss.

“His (past) track record has demonstrated that maybe this will be something new. Based on his 20-year history, we haven’t seen the sensitivity to this issue, but maybe something will be different particularly when you talk about losing billions of dollars with the international Olympics.Sometimes, money talks,” Atty. Myers said.

An assistant to the mayor accepted the list of recommendations following the lawyers’ press conference outside the mayor’s office at city hall. The mayor’s office declined to comment by Final Call presstime.

The IOC will officially announce the 2016 Summer Games host city in October 2009.Chicago is among the cities in contention along with Madrid, Tokyo, Rio de Janiero and Doha, Qatar.