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OIG Advisory Regarding Use-of-Force Reporting

August 2, 2016

Summary

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) has determined that the public reporting by the Independent Police Review Authority on the Chicago Police Department’s use of force prior to 2015 was inaccurate and incomplete, and that IPRA could improve its reporting procedures to provide meaningful transparency, improve accountability, build public trust, and, ultimately, bolster public safety.

Executive Summary

OIG determined that the numbers provided in the Authority’s quarterly reporting on its investigations of CPD weapon discharges did not match the number of actual incidents for any weapon type during the time periods reviewed. As a result, the reports did not provide a sufficient basis for a complete and, therefore meaningful, assessment of changes over time in CPD’s use of force. Moreover, during the time periods reviewed, IPRA did not follow best practices for use-of-force reporting. The Authority did not articulate a clear purpose for its public reporting, it unduly relied on Municipal Code of Chicago (MCC) reporting requirements, and it oriented its reporting around its own investigations rather than striving to provide a truly comprehensive overview of CPD’s use of force.

Departmental responses

OIG Advisory Regarding Use-of-Force Reporting - publication cover