High Priority and Data Research Working Group Meeting – April 22, 2026
High Priority and Data Research Working Group Meeting – April 22, 2026
The High Priority and Data Research Working Group of the City and Cook County Task Force Against Violence Against Women met on April 22, 2026 at 10:02 a.m. The meeting focused on updates regarding data collection, a presentation from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) on gender-based violence policies and the implementation of Karina’s Law firearm seizure warrants, and coordination among agencies. No public testimony was offered.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public testimony was given.
Discussion Items
- Updates on Data and Next Steps – Katie Dunn and Amy (facilitators) outlined that the Circuit Court Clerk is finalizing a first-of-its-kind data analysis on high priority orders (orders of protection, warrants, firearm retrieval orders) expected by the next meeting. A public dashboard is a key goal. The working group will compile data and make recommendations by its June deadline.
- Sheriff’s Office Response to Past Question – Sarah (Sheriff’s Office) addressed a prior question about the short-form notification form, stating the current system is fixed but the Sheriff’s Office is developing ways to make it faster and more effective in the future.
- Presentation by CPD – Mike Milstein (CPD) presented a condensed version of a prior executive meeting presentation on CPD’s gender-based violence policies, victim services, and Karina’s Law warrant process. He noted CPD has a policy on gender-based violence, provides training, and operates a Domestic Violence Program with 16 civilian victim specialists (aiming for 30–35). CPD partners with community-based organizations through a multidisciplinary team. For Karina’s Law, CPD receives warrants from the court and assigns them to its Firearm Investigation Team (FIT). Since May 2025, CPD received 60 Karina’s Law search warrants: 41 were requested extended, only 2 were actually executed (the rest were negated because respondents voluntarily surrendered firearms), and 30 firearms were recovered overall. CPD’s search warrant process is constrained by the federal consent decree, making policy changes slow (up to a year or more).
- Clarifications on Warrant Process – Discussion highlighted that CPD only receives the warrant packet, not access to the civil court system. Colin (Sheriff’s Office) explained that the Sheriff’s Office sends a courtesy copy with background information and coordinates with local agencies. The Sheriff’s Office generally waits to serve the order of protection until after the warrant is executed to preserve the element of surprise. Informal communication (phone calls, emails) is used to notify when a warrant is executed or negated, though the Clerk’s Office is working on a formal notification system.
- Future Presentations – Christina (JAC) agreed to present data on grantee metrics at the April meeting. The Sheriff’s Office will consider a similar presentation on their side of the process.
Key Outcomes
- Data Analysis from Clerk’s Office – The Circuit Court Clerk’s data analysis is expected by end of the week (after April 22) and will be presented at a future working group or executive meeting.
- Next Meeting – Scheduled for late April 2026, to allow time for data preparation.
- CPD Presentation – Noted for the record; further discussion on Karina’s Law challenges and potential collaboration will continue.
- Meeting Adjourned – The meeting was adjourned shortly after 11:00 a.m. via motion by Alderman Tabaras and seconded by Katie Dunn.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Yeah, if you want to get started, I think we can we can get going. Okay, good morning, everybody. Like to call this meeting to order. It's 10.02. Do we have any public testimony? No, we do not being that we don't being that we don't have any public testimony, like to turn it over to um Katie. Katie Dunn. Hi, good morning, everybody. Um we are just gonna give um the Chicago Police Department a couple minutes to join. Um, but we um we could start with just a couple updates. Amy, I don't know if you wanted to jump in first. Um sure. Yeah, I think just uh really today's goal or today's meeting agenda is we're gonna have the presentation from CPD. And then if anyone has any like specific questions about the data requests that we asked or just kind of like next steps going forward, we can go over that. Um I know Nancy reached out to Christina. I know you had a few questions, but and that all okay, great from the JAC, and then can kind of talk about um the executive meeting and what we're thinking for the next one, and yeah, but should be pretty self-explanatory today and pretty pretty simple. I don't I don't expect it um going very long after the presentation and then yeah, just want to make sure with the data requests if anyone has any questions or you know, we can kind of figure out when people want to present, um, but we can also do that over email because I know it only went out uh like two weeks ago and I got the JEC report just out a few days ago. So we weren't expecting like anyone to have everything ready for today. Uh really just kind of planning for April May and June. So yeah. And Katie, do you have anything you wanted to add? Um yeah, so just as a background, we're waiting right now on uh really a first of its kind data analysis by the cook uh the circuit court clerk. Um hopefully we'll have that by the next meeting so we could dissect it a little bit. Um a lot of that report will include these high priority orders um and really will give us some numbers um that currently are not public um or at least being shared within all the offices about the number of orders of protection, the number of warrants, um, the number of firearm um retrieval orders um that are currently um within the court system. Um and so as we just continue working towards a dashboard, which is one of the main outputs of uh these efforts that will provide some, you know, some um ongoing transparency um and also just some collaboration. Um, you know, this snapshot will will really be a glimpse of what will be provided on an ongoing basis to the public, hopefully daily um on a daily basis. And so we're excited and want to thank the the circuit court clerk for um their efforts in pulling this together. Um and then also thank you to uh Commissioner Degman's team and Jack for you know communicating with them and yeah, thanks, Jack. Yeah, absolutely. Um and putting up with all of uh my questions. So appreciate that. Um and then also um just um, you know, the the high priorities will be the primary focus of this dashboard and of some of the transparency work. Um, so I think this uh combining the data and research, obviously when we have a report, we'll need the data and research uh experts, you know, their input on how to best provide this and and translate this to the public going forward. Um and then um so for today, we just wanted um at the last executive meeting, uh the Chicago Police Department had um a really you know great presentation on some of their work. Um they um not sure if they've joined yet. Um we did not have enough time for discussion at the last executive meeting. So they're going to um uh just you know pre represent a condensed version of that um for discussion purposes. Um but really I I think the um the question um for Chicago police and what they've been grappling with and what um realistically if we want to um reduce the number of of women being harmed and murdered in Cook County Um is to really engage local law enforcement. Uh the sheriff's office is the law enforcement agency for civil court, um, but local law enforcement agencies like the Chicago Police Department can serve uh short form orders and now they can also do Corina's law, firearm seizures. Um but they are limited to them in the formation that they're getting. Um and so we really need to um you know hear more from CPD about the efforts that they're doing to kind of you know circumvent that and figure out how uh to better communicate. Um and then um going forward, we need to figure out a plan for local law enforcement. Um so I'm just gonna check in really quickly with them and I'll be right back. No worries. And yeah, I think um just kind of again the overall goal for you know these meetings and these task force is that we're gonna collect all the data that's being shared and given and you know, just make a report just so we have everything in one place, because I feel like a lot of the time it's like we're referencing something or it's like we heard this from one meeting, so just that it's all collaborated together. Um, and then you know, from that report can make suggestions and recommendations. Um, and you know, since the task force is only gonna be till June, that's you know, not a ton of time to do a lot. So this is definitely, you know, a first step, but um just really appreciate everyone being, you know, so so helpful with this and asking questions and um yeah. Does anyone just while we have a few minutes have any questions or want to go on go over anything on their part or what what's being asked or anything like that?
openpublica.com