Chicago City Wire

A Chicago alderman is warning the city council about the growing problem of white supremacy in the city police department.

According to a May 11 Twitter post by Chicago Contrarian, Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez of Chicago’s 25th ward has released a letter to city councilmembers and commissioners sharing his concerns regarding white supremacy inside the city police department. 

“We know that at least 15 officers have ties to white supremacist groups,” Sigcho-Lopez said in his letter. The alderman doesn't name the officers, but goes on to say that the issue of white supremacy “goes far beyond these 15 officers.” The letter acknowledges that the vast majority of Chicago Police officers are not white supremacists, but says that the city must aggressively root out such activity and hold officers accountable so that the department does not become corrupt and crumble.

"We are deeply concerned about the problem of white supremacy inside the Chicago Police Department," Sigcho-Lopez wrote in his letter.

Sigcho-Lopez’s letter invites all city officials to attend a briefing at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago on May 23, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. to discuss the problem of white supremacy in their ranks, common misconceptions, steps for elected officials to take, followed by a Q&A session. The event will be run by a senior research analyst from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Leaders Network, an organization that is “a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.” 

An immigrant from Ecuador, Sigcho-Lopez came to the U.S. alone as a teenager. He cites several teachers, coaches, and community members for helping him receive an education and welcoming him to the community which he would be elected in 2019 to represent. His bio page shares his successes in community engagement, and says that he is a member of the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America. He holds a bachelors in Mathematics and Business Administration from Cumberland University, and a masters in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the field of Urban Education Policy.