Review of the Civilian Office of Accountability’s Timeliness Initiative

Executive Summary

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) has completed and published its inquiry into the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s (COPA) Timeliness Initiative. From July 2023 through January 2024, COPA took action to reduce a substantial and longstanding backlog of investigations that were 18 months or older via its Timeliness Initiative. Through this effort, COPA reviewed investigations, completed those with “low level” infractions as Non-Disciplinary Closures (NDC), and recommended training in lieu of discipline for any allegations which would have been sustained under typical investigative circumstances.

The planned steps within COPA’s Timeliness Initiative Project (TIP) guidance involved efforts aimed at providing stakeholder notice, ensuring internal evidence files were complete, establishing review criteria to enumerate disqualifying allegations of misconduct for closure under the initiative, sending training recommendations to the Chicago Police Department (CPD), reaching out to complainants about the initiative, updating COPA’s website to provide public information about the Timeliness Initiative, and determining when investigations should be reopened at the recommendation of an external entity (such as OIG).

Recognizing that COPA did reduce its investigative caseload under the initiative, OIG found that COPA did not fully adhere to the TIP guidelines as outlined, including not considering members’ complaint histories when determining eligibility under TIP and not ensuring that responsive training related to identified misconduct was implemented by CPD.

While COPA has indicated this initiative was a “one-time” effort, there are indications that COPA will continue to use NDCs and training recommendations for its case management efforts going forward. As such, OIG encourages COPA to invest in efforts to appropriately identify “low level” infractions that may be suitable for training recommendations. Further, to ensure the desired accountability measures are achieved, OIG urges COPA to pursue timely confirmation that any non-disciplinary recommendations made to CPD are appropriately implemented.

Since the Timeliness Initiative, COPA has reported its aging and open investigations have decreased. However, the concerns raised by OIG’s inquiry bear on the execution of this case management strategy and are relevant for COPA to consider as it continues to close cases using non-disciplinary pathways.