The Massey Commission is asking Springfield residents to attend its monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 15, and participate in an open forum where community members can provide input on the commission’s recommendations before its final report is submitted.
“This is not a meeting to watch from the sidelines,” Adam White, the commission’s public engagement coordinator, wrote in a press release. “The commission was created in the wake of tragedy, but its charge is to help build a future rooted in transparency and fairness. That work cannot be done without the community’s voice at the table.”
The Massey Commission was created in 2024 to address “systemic issues in law enforcement practices, mental health responses and community relations” one month after Sonya Massey called 911 only to be shot and killed in her home by a sheriff’s deputy.
Last month, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill increasing the amount of documentation police departments must ask for when screening applicants.
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“This is a rare chance for residents to speak into a process that could define local government’s response to systemic inequities,” White wrote. “The Massey Commission urges everyone: neighbors, educators, business leaders, faith leaders, students, organizers and elected officials to come forward, ask questions and share their feedback. This meeting is not the end of the process but the moment when the people’s voice can most strongly shape its direction.”
The meeting will be held at Memorial Learning Center, 228 W. Miller St., at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15.
This article appears in September 11-17, 2025.
