Chicago's top watchdog should move quickly to probe police oversight agency
It has been no secret that Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling and Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara have had their beefs with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and its chief administrator, Andrea Kersten. The most recent example is their critique of Kersten's handling of the investigation of the shooting of Dexter Reed, a motorist who was killed by police in March after he wounded a tactical officer during a traffic stop in Humboldt Park.
This week, another civilian oversight panel, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, has added to the mix with a unanimous vote to have the city's inspector general look into the "the quality and integrity" of COPA investigations and allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers, the Sun-Times Fran Spielman and Tom Schuba reported.
It it absolutely essential that Chicagoans, civilians and police officers alike, have trust and confidence in this major component of police oversight: COPA examines whether officers should face discipline for alleged wrongdoing, including police shootings. The lives of victims, the careers of police officers, the trust of the community and the reputation of the Chicago Police Department are all at stake.
Chicago cannot get police oversight wrong. So we urge Inspector General Deborah Witzburg to get started quickly on a probe.
Whatever she uncovers will either help correct deficiencies within COPA, or, at the very least, provide assurance that it is operating properly and fulfilling its mission — which, in part, is to reduce incidents of police misconduct.
"This is not something I take lightly or wanted to do," Anthony Driver, the commission's president, told us. "But for me and for our commission, it's about doing what's right."
Simply put, officers have to believe they're getting a fair shake from COPA. Complaints about police shootings, excessive force, profiling and other accusations of misdeeds have to be dissected without bias. The public has to have faith in the agency also. Likewise, those reporting complaints — or in this case, COPA employees with concerns about COPA’s investigations and recommendations, Spielman and Schuba reported — shouldn't have to worry about being penalized either.
As a 2021 report by the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement found, protection from retaliation, procedural justice and legitimacy are among the dozen-plus principles that ensure effective civilian oversight of police accused of misconduct. The research also notes that "it is equally important that civilian oversight establish legitimacy with law enforcement and law enforcement unions...."
‘The best way’ to hold COPA accountable
We don't know what particular investigations the commissions received intel about. A source told Spielman and Schuba the referral to the independent watchdog has "absolutely nothing to do with" the FOP's complaints of bias against officers in COPA's investigations.
The commission's vote does come on the heels of Snelling's and Catanzara's public airing of their issues with Kersten’s handling of the investigation of the Reed shooting. Kersten drew Snelling's ire after she publicly released a letter she sent him that raised “grave concerns” about the use of deadly force in the incident, urged him to relieve officers involved of their police powers and questioned whether police lied about why they stopped Reed.
Snelling described Kersten’s lengthy account of the investigation as "misleading at best" and accused her office of "framing the mind of the people" before releasing video of the shooting.
COPA investigations are serious matters. COPA's evidence is turned over to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Law Enforcement Accountability Division, which reviews the evidence to determine whether criminal charges are warranted. Justice for victims and officers depends on COPA's integrity.
An inspector general investigation is "the best way" to ensure COPA's accountability, Driver has said.
He's right. Now it's up to Witzburg to get started.
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