Austinites living north of Division Street and other registered voters within the 25th Police District have until this Thursday, May 21 to apply to fill the vacancy on the 25th Police District Council.
As part of the 2021 police accountability reform package, each of Chicago’s 22 police district got three-member elected District Councils to work toward improving public safety, recommend policies and help nominate commissioners to the city-wide Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. The first election was held in 2023.
District councilor Angelica Green told Austin Weekly News that the vacancy was created in April when councilor Saul Arellano resigned.
A candidate must be a registered voter in the 25th Police District, and they must have lived in the district for at least 12 months. They aren’t eligible if they worked for or served on Chicago Police Department, Civilian Office of Police Accountability or the Police Review Board. As with any elected office in Illinois, they can’t owe the City of Chicago any money, and they can’t have felony convictions.
Candidates must submit an online application at https://bit.ly/25DCVacancy. They must also submit a resume and a letter of support to the district council email, at DC25@cityofchicago.org.
The council holds monthly community meetings to get resident input on safety issues and those meetings often include workshops and presentations on public safety topics. The district councils can propose CPD policies to CCPSA, and it can push for public hearings – a power that the majority of district councilors used late last year to force CCPSA to hold a public hearing on the alleged collaboration between CPD and federal immigration enforcement agencies. Councilors get a $500 monthly stipend.
Green and current council chair Jacob Arena will review the applications, interview the finalists and select a candidate. CCPSA must confirm the selection, but that step is usually a formality.
The 25th police district is the largest police district that falls within the West Side, and it is by far the most demographically diverse. It falls between Belmont Avenue, Central Park Avenue, Division Street and the city border. Galewood, North Austin and West Humboldt Park only account for about a third of the district. It also encompasses all of Montclare, Belmont-Cragin and Hermosa community areas, about a fourth of Logan Square and small portions of Avondale and Dunning.
Five candidates ran for 25th district council in 2023. Green got the most votes, Arellano came in second, Arena coming in third.
Whoever is selected to replace Arello will serve out the remainder of his term, which will expire in June 2027. The next election will be held at the same time as the 2027 city council and mayor elections, and there is nothing stopping any replacement for a seat.
