Lightfoot Proposes Powers For Civilian Police Oversight Board

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot released her long-awaited plan for civilian police oversight on Monday. Under the proposal, the Chicago Police Department would be held accountable by seven Chicagoans who would form the commission and assess the performance of CPD leadership.

Notably, the group would be tasked with overseeing Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability, an agency that was created to investigate instances of police misconduct.

Under Lightfoot's proposal, which has yet to be endorsed by the city's Black Caucus, a civilian panel would not have the power to choose Chicago's police superintendent, a hiring position many thought would be given to the group of Chicagoans. Instead, Lightfoot and future mayors would continue to choose the superintendent themselves.

In the announcement, Lightfoot said the civilian panel would be the primary body assessing performance and setting goals for police leadership. They would aid in the search for new police superintendents should the position become open. The Police Board currently performs similar duties.

"This proposal will significantly overhaul how the Chicago Police Department's leadership and members are overseen, managed and held accountable when necessary," Lightfoot said in a statement.

Below are powers that would be granted to the civilian-led accountability board. There are no citizenship requirements to be appointment, but residency in Chicago is required. The City Council's Black Caucus, Latino Caucus and Progressive Caucus submitted alternate plans for the group, which would give the proposed board more powers than Lightfoot's proposal.

• Direct the Public Safety Inspector General to conduct research and audits on specific topics or issues.
• Review and provide input to the Chief Administrator, Public Safety Inspector General, Superintendent, Police Board, and other City departments and offices, including the Mayor, City Council Committee on Public Safety, and Corporation Counsel, on the police accountability system, police services, and Department policies and practices of significance to the public;
• Collaborate with the Department, COPA, and the Police Board in the development of new or amended policy;
• Review and approve by majority vote any proposed new or amended Policy;
• Interview, assess the qualifications of, and recommend to the Mayor candidates having appropriate qualifications for the positions of Superintendent, Chief Administrator, and Police Board member;
• Introduce and adopt a resolution of no confidence on the fitness of the Superintendent, Chief Administrator, or a Police Board member to hold their position;
• Before a City Council vote on the annual budget, prepare and submit to the Budget Director a detailed and factually supported budget submission, then review and, if warranted, recommend changes to the proposed Department budget appropriation; and
• Direct the Chief Administrator to investigate complaints of police misconduct consistent with COPA’s defined jurisdiction.

Lightfoot said on Monday that she did not want to "outsource" all hiring decisions and control of CPD to a civilian board.

"The relationship between the mayor and the police superintendent is critically important," she said. So we have a process by which the candidates will be vetted through the commission. The commission will make recommendations. But yes, because the buck stops with me, I will ultimately, as mayor ... be making that decision."