On March 22, 2018 a historic document co-authored by the Illinois Association of Chiefs Police and the Illinois NAACP Branches leadership titled , “ Ten Shared Principles” designed to bridge the gap of mistrust between police and communities of color was signed by the Presidents of the Chief Association, Chief James Kruger and the Illinois NAACP President Teresa Haley .
After three years of conversations with hundreds of people throughout Illinois, the announcement of the Shared Principles Agreement took place in Springfield at the Old State Capitol, the site of Abraham Lincoln’s historic “House Divided” speech in 1858 during his candidacy for U.S. senator. The signing was attended by numerous Chiefs and NAACP Presidents from throughout the state.
The first of its kind in our nation’s history, the agreement between a NAACP state conference and a statewide law enforcement agency identifies the common ground between local law enforcement and communities of color in their commitment to and passion for defending civil rights and keeping communities safe.”
“I wish I had been in the Old State Capitol for the signing, where Abraham Lincoln did his ‘House Divided’ speech,” Steven Jogman Police Chief from Highland Park said. “No other state can lay claim to that. That’s what we’re working on avoiding, because we don’t want to be a house divided. We want to work together. The police needs the community and the community needs the police.”