The Reader’s archive is vast and varied, going back to 1971. Every week in Archive Dive, we’ll dig through and bring up some finds. Is a Chicago without police a possibility? In the 2016 article “Abolish the police? Organizers say it’s less crazy than it sounds.” Reader staff writer Maya Dukmasova explored the history of abolitionism, spoke with local activists fighting for change, and reported the Chicago Police Department’s response (or lack thereof) to the movement.
The idea of police abolition in the city gained national attention when Jessica Disu unintentionally brought up the issue during a heated discussion on Fox News. From there it became clear that many local groups were ready to stand with her.
And it’s not just marches and protests supporting the idea—Dukmasova dives into community gatherings, meetings in church basements, and other alternatives.
It seems the city finds itself at the epicenter of a growing movement imagining and building a world without cops. And some grassroots groups, tired of waiting for top-down change from the very agencies they protest, have taken it upon themselves to start building the abolitionist society they want to live in.
