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Ordinance and Rules

The Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) operates with independence, objectivity, confidentiality, transparency, and inclusion. 

OIG ordinance

OIG derives its authority and mandate from its enabling ordinance in the Municipal Code of Chicago (MCC)—specifically MCC § 2-56. 

Read the full OIG ordinance, MCC § 2-56, here.

OIG’s ordinance provides authority for OIG to, among other things:  

  • Investigate allegations of wrongdoing; audit or review City programs to identify inefficiency, waste, and potential for misconduct; and hold public hearings as appropriate 
  • Issue subpoenas for testimony or documents relevant to an investigation 
  • Monitor and audit City employment actions under the City’s various Hiring Plans and conduct inquiries into allegations of non-compliance with the Hiring Plans

OIG independence and jurisdiction  

OIG operates independently from the rest of City government. It does not operate under the direction of the Mayor or any other official or component of City government. The inspector general serves in a legally protected term, and the office operates with a statutorily protected budget.  

OIG has jurisdiction over:

  • City officials (elected and appointed) 
  • City employees 
  • City contractors, vendors, and licensees
  • Lobbyists
  • Police and police accountability agencies
    • Chicago Police Department
    • Civilian Office of Police Accountability
    • Chicago Police Board

Rules of the Office of Inspector General

Pursuant to the MCC, OIG promulgates rules “for the conduct of investigations and public hearings consistent with the requirements of due process of law and equal protection under the law.” (MCC §2-56-030(k)).  

As distinct from and in addition to OIG’s ordinance, OIG’s rules reflect existing and accepted OIG practices and may, within the scope of applicable laws, vary from one OIG inquiry to another based on operational contingency and need, and do not confer any rights upon a subject or witness in an OIG inquiry. They apply to all OIG activities except those undertaken at the direction of the United States Attorney’s Office, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, or the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office as part of a joint investigation of potential violations of federal, state, or local law.

See OIG rules for more information.

The consent decree entered in Illinois v. Chicago

In 2017, the State of Illinois sued the City of Chicago for a variety of claims arising from the City’s policing practices. In 2019, the court hearing that case entered a “consent decree,” or an agreed order to settle claims at issue in which the City agreed to take a number of actions. That agreement is enforced by a federal judge, and the City’s compliance with its obligations is assessed by a court-appointed monitor.

The consent decree entered Illinois v. Chicago imposes specific obligations on the City, CPD, COPA, OIG, Police Board, and other City departments.  

The consent decree is organized by paragraph, with requirements in 10 different subject areas:

  • Community Policing 
  • Impartial Policing 
  • Crisis Intervention 
  • Use of Force
  • Recruitment, Hiring, and Promotion
  • Training
  • Supervision
  • Officer Wellness and Support
  • Accountability and Transparency
  • Data Collection, Analysis, and Management 

OIG was the first City department to achieve full compliance with all of its consent decree obligations, having been found in full compliance on October 8, 2021.

On December 21, 2023, the United States District Court terminated those obligations, finding OIG and the OIG Public Safety Section’s sustained full and effective compliance with the material requirements of the consent decree.

Read the consent decree here.

Additional Information

To select and appoint a new inspector general (IG), the mayor and the chair of the City Council’s Committee on Ethics and Government oversight each select members to serve on a search committee. That search committee selects a candidate or candidates for appointment by the mayor and confirmation by the City Council.

The IG serves in a four-year term, which runs independently of the term of the mayor and City Council.

The IG may be removed prior to the expiration of the four-year term only for cause and only for following a majority vote by the City Council.

The IG and OIG are held accountable by subjecting their work to public and City Council scrutiny. To ensure the quality and rigor of its work, OIG is subject to a peer review and certification by the Association of Inspectors General every three years.

When there are allegations of misconduct against a member of OIG, they are handled in accordance with OIG’s policy on internal investigations.

OIG has a legally protected budget to ensure its work and independence cannot be impacted through retaliatory diminution of its budget. This takes the form of an ordinance-mandated budget floor under which the OIG must receive no less than 0.14 percent of the total annual City budget.

By law, OIG investigatory files and reports are confidential and shall not be divulged except to law enforcement entities or appropriate officials in the context of cases where it has found violations of regulations, policy, or law warranting disciplinary action.

Under certain limited circumstances, the City of Chicago’s Department of Law may release summary reports of OIG investigations (see MCC § 2-56-110(b)).

Yes. When OIG makes a recommendation to a City department—for the discipline of an employee, licensee, or contractor; for changes to policies or practices; or the reopening of a policy disciplinary case—the department is required to respond in writing.

Depending on the type of recommendation, a response may be required within 30 or 60 days. That time is sometimes extendable by request from the department.

All City officials, employees, departments, lobbyists, contractors, subcontractors, agents, licensees, and applicants for City contracts or programs have a legal obligation to cooperate with OIG.

The City of Chicago’s Governmental Ethics Ordinance requires every City employee, official, and contractor, to report corruption to OIG. Failure to report wrongdoing may be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including discharge (see MCC § 2-156-018).