Report on Investigations of Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Chicago Police Department Members 2022

Pursuant to Paragraph 444 of the consent decree entered in Illinois v. Chicago, the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Public Safety section is required to “review and analyze” closed sexual misconduct investigations involving complaints “against a [Chicago Police Department (CPD)] member alleging conduct against a non-CPD member.” The consent decree requires OIG to publish an annual report “assessing the quality of the sexual misconduct administrative investigations reviewed,” “recommending changes in policies and practices to better prevent, detect, or investigate sexual misconduct,” and “providing aggregate data on the administrative investigations reviewed” by OIG.

This report contains an evaluative analysis of all reportable sexual misconduct cases involving a member of CPD as required under Paragraph 444. Paragraph 444 requires that the Bureau of Internal Affairs (BIA) and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) provide the investigative file to OIG, “Within ten days of the final disciplinary decision of each complaint of sexual misconduct against a CPD member alleging conduct against a non-CPD member.” In 2021, BIA created in their Case Management System (CMS) shared with COPA a designation for investigators to flag CPD sexual misconduct cases that would alert OIG via email of the completion of their investigation. In 2022, OIG reviewed 33 qualifying sexual misconduct cases but only received email notifications on 11 of those cases. OIG recognizes the efforts put forth by BIA and COPA to improve on processes that meet the requirements of the consent decree; however, there is an ongoing need to improve on operational and case management enhancements. OIG also found inadequate documentation of explanations for extended lengths of investigative inactivity in some investigative case files.