Head Of Police Accountability Agency Resigns Amidst Major Cases

CHICAGO — Sydney Roberts, the chief administrator of Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability, announced her resignation on Wednesday.

Roberts was appointed head of COPA in 2018, shortly after the agency was formed in 2016 to independently investigate officer misconduct and use of force, such as in the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. She leaves COPA as the agency is in the midst of three major cases: the fatal shootings by police officers of Anthony Alvarez and 13-year-old Adam Toledo, and the improper raid of Anjanette Young's home.

While Roberts said she is proud of the progress COPA has made in holding Chicago police accountable, the agency is often criticized for only investigating high profile cases and not taking claims of abuse seriously.

"I led COPA from the very start of my tenure with a keen awareness of the new agency's importance in enabling civilian oversight of law enforcement," Roberts said in a news release. "COPA has assumed an unprecedented role in ensuring law enforcement accountability."

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said an interim chief administrator would be appointed while the city looks for a long-term replacement, though Lightfoot said she was not impressed with COPA under Roberts' leadership.

"I've made no secret of the fact that I've been extraordinarily unhappy with the way [COPA] have handled a number of things, not the least of which is taking over 18 months to move forward on an investigation regarding Anjanette Young," Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference on Wednesday. "That's not acceptable."

Roberts was appointed under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Despite her strong words, Lightfoot said she did not ask for Roberts' resignation.

"And I've been very candid both in public but also directly about the fact I think COPA needs to be much more responsive, much more mindful about the fact it carries a very important position and role in police accountability. And we've got to make sure they move forward in a thorough but expeditious way," Lightfoot said.

Roberts has been in law enforcement for over 20 years, according to COPA's website. Before she joined COPA she was the director of the Illinois Secretary of State Department of Police and commander of the Maywood Police Department.