Recommendations to Inform and Improve Police Board Decisions

Executive Summary

During its review of decisions made by the Police Board, OIG identified an inconsistency concerning the Police Board’s Findings and Decisions in 21 PB 2994. At issue in that matter were allegations involving the use of a chokehold by a Chicago Police Department (CPD) member and the failure to report the chokehold by two CPD supervisors.

The Police Board found a CPD member guilty of seven rule violations stemming from their unjustified use of a chokehold. Two CPD supervisors faced allegations that they failed to report that the CPD member used excessive force and that they failed to adequately address the CPD member’s incomplete Tactical Response Report. Both supervisors were charged with violating Rule 3 of CPD’s Rules of Conduct, which prohibits any failure to promote the Department’s efforts to implement its policy or accomplish its goals, and Rule 22, which prohibits failure to report misconduct.

In the Police Board’s decision, the Police Board acknowledged that both supervisors reviewed video footage of the incident on more than one occasion; however, neither CPD supervisor identified the misconduct that the Police Board itself identified in its review of that same video. The Police Board wrote in its decision that the two CPD supervisors had “no reason to suspect an illegal chokehold”—despite themselves finding evidence of an illegal chokehold—and found the two CPD supervisors Not Guilty of all charges.

OIG found the Police Board’s decision as related to the CPD supervisor’s alleged misconduct to be inconsistent with its decision related to the misconduct of the CPD member based on its review of the same video.

To inform and improve future decisions, OIG recommended that the Police Board ensure internal factual consistency across findings in a case, and that it thoroughly enforces CPD’s rules and policies requiring its members to report misconduct.

In response to OIG’s recommendation, the Police Board agreed generally that it should strive ‘to ensure internal factual consistency across findings in a case, and ensure that it thoroughly enforces CPD’s rules and policies requiring its members to report misconduct,’ but noted that the Police Board’s decision was its “best and final reasoning.”