Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the creation of a task force to review the system of accountability, oversight and training that is currently in place for Chicago’s police officers. The Task Force on Police Accountability will recommend reforms to the current system to improve independent oversight of police misconduct, ensure officers with repeated complaints are identified and evaluated appropriately, and establish best practice for release of videos of police-involved incidents. The task force will be co-chaired by five respected leaders in criminal justice:
- Sergio Acosta is a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson and a former federal prosecutor
- Joe Ferguson is Inspector General of the City of Chicago and a former federal prosecutor
- Hiram Grau is the former Director of the Illinois State Police and former Deputy Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department
- Lori Lightfoot is president of the Chicago Police Board, a partner at Mayer Brown and a former federal prosecutor
- Randolph Stone is a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, director of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Project Clinic, and a former Cook County Public Defender
- Former Massachusetts Governor and Chicago native Deval Patrick will serve as a senior advisor to the task force. Patrick also served as U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division under President Bill Clinton.
The task force is charged with:
Improving independent oversight of police misconduct. In response to prior complaints concerning the investigation of police-involved shootings and other claims of serious police misconduct, the City Council created a new, independent, civilian-led agency in 2006 to conduct such investigations – the Independent Police Review Authority.
The task force will actively engage community, victims’ rights, law enforcement, youth, religious and elected leaders to ensure the recommendations are based on input from all parts of the city. Its recommendations will be presented to the Mayor and City Council by March 31, 2016.
