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A measure that would have required Chicago Police officers to allow those arrested access to a phone within an hour of being detained failed to advance Monday, after a deputy chief told aldermen it could put the city at risk of lawsuits.

Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), the chair of the Public Safety Committee, said Monday he was not prepared to allow a vote on the measure authored by Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) that has been languishing for approximately 15 months.

The measure is designed to ensure that the police follow state law, which requires arrestees to be allowed to make a “reasonable” number of phone calls to family and an attorney of their choice within a “reasonable” amount of time.

The state has defined “reasonable” as within an hour of being brought to a police station.

“We need to implement this quick, fast and in a hurry,” Hairston said.

The department’s refusal to follow the law is what has sparked calls from several aldermen and groups to defund the police, Hairston said. “I’m mad.”

Chicago Police Department Deputy Chief Randy Darlin in the Office of Operations said arrestees are allowed to make phone calls after being booked and processed. Sometimes, that can take more than an hour, he said.

Officers are committed to allowing those who have been arrested to make a phone call “as soon as it is reasonable and practical,” Darlin said.

“We need discretion,” he added.

Ald. Jason Ervin (28th Ward) pressed Darlin several times on why he believed it was acceptable for the department to flout state law. An hour is not unreasonable, Ervin said.

“At some point, we have to do the right things,” Ervin said. “We can’t keep living on loopholes and living on exceptions.”

Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward), a former firefighter, said he was concerned the rule could prompt a lawsuit if officers arrest “20 lovely looters” and cannot process them all in an hour.

In June, Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli joined several groups, including Black Lives Matter Chicago, in a suit against the city over the issue.

Data collected by Campanelli’s office between April 16 and June 5 showed that 23% of those arrested in Chicago were not offered the opportunity to make a phone call after they were taken into custody by Chicago police at any point.

Another 22% of arrestees surveyed by Campanelli’s office found they had to wait five or more hours to use the phone.

Taliaferro said he would bring the measure back for a vote at a future meeting.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]