MOVING TOWARD CONSENT DECREE COMPLIANCE AT CPD AND COPA
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In January 2019, a federal judge approved a
consent decree
on policing in Chicago, a legally-binding agreement between the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois committing to reforms in Chicago’s public safety agencies. The consent decree mandates significant changes to operations at several city agencies, including the
Chicago Police Department
(CPD) and the
Civilian Office of Police Accountability
(COPA). The decree follows reports by the City’s Police Accountability Task Force (PATF) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which
found that
the Department had engaged “in a pattern or practice of using force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.”
As the examples below demonstrate, Civic Consulting Alliance and our
pro bono
partners continue to support CPD and COPA in preparing for and executing requirements of the consent decree.
CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT
In early 2017, CPD released its
Next Steps for Reform
, a set of initiatives developed in response to the PATF and DOJ reports. To help CPD execute these reforms, Civic Consulting Alliance and
pro bono partners
Accenture
,
A.T. Kearney
, and
West Monroe Partners
helped
CPD launch
a project management office in the summer of 2017 to sequence, staff, coordinate, and track implementation of several dozen initiatives.
The project management office has since become a permanent feature of CPD’s organizational structure. Now called the Office of Reform Management and led by CPD Director of Reform Management (and Civic Consulting Alliance alumna) Christina Anderson, this Office is charged with tracking adherence to all of the mandates in the consent decree pertaining to CPD.
"CPD has a lot of experience in law enforcement, but very little in project management. We knew we needed Civic Consulting Alliance's help."
-Chicago Police Department
Superintendent Eddie Johnson
More recently, Civic Consulting Alliance and
pro bono
partner
Bain
have been working with CPD’s Office of Community Policing to address several specific consent decree mandates. For example, under the decree, Districts and Bureaus within CPD are required to work with the Office of Community Policing to create plans for non-enforcement activities such as problem-solving with community members.
To create plans that could be tracked, the Office of Community Policing, with guidance
from the Community Policing Advisory Panel
report
and input from Department leadership, developed standardized templates and a process for writing, reviewing, and tracking these plans. Later this year, CPD Districts and Bureaus will write and implement the plans in close coordination with community advisory committees.
CIVILIAN OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) is charged with investigating allegations of misconduct made against CPD officers. COPA will play a crucial role in the success of the consent decree. With support from Civic Consulting Alliance and
pro bono
partner
Sidley Austin LLP
, COPA assessed its current processes compared to the requirements of the consent decrees and developed implementation plans to reach full compliance with every mandate pertaining to the agency. For example:
Implementing a comprehensive mediation program
COPA will develop a program through which civilians who submit complaints have the opportunity to participate in mediation with the officers involved. The program aims to increase efficiency and transparency, strengthen public trust, and create opportunities for procedural and restorative justice. The program will also free up investigative resources for the pursuit of complaints that are not good candidates for mediation.
Updating core investigative processes
COPA will implement changes to how it investigates complaints. These changes are designed to lead to faster investigations; greater integrity of witness interviews; increased transparency; and greater efficiency.
Increasing mandatory staff training
COPA staff will receive comprehensive training when they join the agency, and at least 8 hours of additional in-service training every year. This training will serve as an integral part of COPA’s effort to improve professionalism, efficiency, and thoroughness of misconduct investigations.
Projects follow mandated implementation timelines ranging from 30 days to 2 years from the effective date of the consent decree. COPA has already begun making progress on the 25 project plans, including regular leadership meetings to track compliance.
“COPA is committed to reaching full compliance with all consent decree mandates within the specified timeline. We believe the consent decree will be a powerful vehicle to improve police accountability and police-community relations, and we appreciate Civic Consulting Alliance and Sidley Austin’s support in implementing it.” -
Chief Administrator Sydney Roberts.
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FELLOW SPOTLIGHTS: PATRICK HOLBROOK
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Patrick Holbrook worked with Civic Consulting Alliance as a Bain Fellow from October 2018 to February 2019.
What projects were you involved in during your time at the Civic Consulting Alliance?
During my four months at Civic Consulting Alliance, I worked with West Side United to realize their vision of making the West Side of Chicago a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant place to live. I led the implementation efforts for programs aimed at increasing healthy food access for residents in West Side United’s ten focus neighborhoods. These programs range from building a cohesive food insecurity screening strategy for patients at the six West Side United member hospitals, to establishing a fruits and vegetables prescription program to provide 1,000 families with fruits and vegetables on an ongoing basis.
What will you take away from your time at Civic Consulting Alliance?
I will leave with a unique appreciation for the sheer number of amazing people that work every day to make Chicago a better place, at Civic Consulting Alliance and beyond. The opportunity to meet and learn from influential leaders in Chicago’s food access scene taught me so much about the city I live in and gave me a network that I hope to keep in touch with throughout my career.
What was your most memorable experience during your time at Civic Consulting Alliance?
In my first week at Civic Consulting Alliance, I attended a West Side United leadership meeting, where I was in the room with C-suite executives from some of Chicago’s most influential hospital systems. Watching the leaders of competing organizations come together around a single goal of making Chicago a better place to live was inspiring and an experience I’ll remember for a long time.
How has your time at Civic Consulting Alliance helped you develop professionally?
Civic Consulting Alliance and West Side United reinforced my long-standing interest in public health and showed me the value my private sector consulting skills can add to the public sector. In particular, the ability to move a group of competitors towards a common goal was a challenge that helped me sharpen my consulting skills, while building my confidence as a leader. Civic Consulting Alliance has been an incredible growth opportunity for me, both personally and professionally.
Civic Consulting Alliance Fellowships are full-time positions that last between three months and a year. Fellows are integrated into project teams for a unique professional development opportunity. Please visit the
Fellowships
page on our website to learn more.
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SUPPORTING THE ILLINOIS GUBERNATORIAL TRANSITION
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As part of the transitions process that culminated in the inauguration of Governor Pritzker on January 8, Civic Consulting Alliance and
pro bono
partners from
Accenture
,
Advance Illinois
,
Deloitte
,
EY
,
Mayer Brown
,
and
McKinsey & Co.
managed 11 transition committees composed of more than 400 individuals.
On February 8, the Governor’s Office released all 11
Transition Reports
,
which provide
both short and long-term recommendations, and outline current risks and opportunities. Together, the reports provide insightful guidance to Gov. Pritzker as he begins his term.
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IN OTHER NEWS...
- Don't miss West Side United's 2019 Community Convening at Malcolm X College on March 5! Members of West Side United will share their progress and strategic goals for 2019. Register here.
- We enjoyed seeing many of you at our February 13 event, Civic Cocktails, featuring architects Philip Enquist and Gordon Gill. A big thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Exelon, for their generous support, and to our Host, the spectacular Chicago Architecture Center.
- What We're Reading: At Civic Consulting Alliance, we aspire to build a new culture of civic leadership, one that works across power structures to achieve common purpose based on personal trust. In a recent article, WBEZ's Natalie Moore provides some thought-provoking examples of how other cities are approaching similar goals by adopting a “racial equity lens” in policymaking and systemic decision-making.
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