* Frank Main, Fran Spielman, Tom Schuba at the Sun-Times…
The way the city of Chicago investigates fatal shootings by police officers violates state law and Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been sitting on recommendations to fix that for nearly a year, records reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
According to the documents, the city isn’t complying with the Illinois Police and Community Relations Act, which governs investigations regarding whether a police officer who has shot someone to death should be charged with a crime.
Under the law, which took effect in 2016, a criminal investigation into a fatal shooting by police has to be done by two investigators from outside the agency that employs the officer involved.
It says one of the investigators doing a criminal investigation of an “officer-involved death” must be a specially trained “lead homicide investigator.” Lead homicide investigators must be sworn officers, according to the state’s law enforcement training board. […]
Under a federal consent decree — a court order that took effect in 2019 requiring sweeping reforms in Chicago Police Department practices — the city must “use best efforts” to ensure that a law enforcement agency conducts investigations into “officer-involved deaths.”
* Meanwhile, Fran Spielman tallied up resignations, etc. under Mayor Lori Lightfoot so far. I turned her well-written story into a list…
Chief Operating Officer Anne Sheahan
Streets and Sanitation Commissioner John Tully
Chief Procurement Officer Shannon Andrews
Mayoral press secretary Jordan Troy
Water Management Commissioner Randy Conner
Family and Support Services Commissioner Lisa Morrison Butler
Sydney Roberts, head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability
Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Susan Lee
Chief Risk Officer Tamika Puckett
Chief of security Jim Smith
Corporation Counsel Mark Flessner
Lightfoot’s chief of staff, Maurice Classen (possible)
* Politico…
A huge cache of internal emails from City Hall was hacked by a third party and made public Friday, revealing the inner workings of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration in Chicago.
The select group of emails had been given to the Jones Day law firm as part of an inquiry into how the police raid on Anjanette Young’s home had been handled. The law firm transferred them to a third party as part of that investigation using a data software service when the emails were swiped. “The breach … at no time involved or impacted the city’s computers or computer system,” according to a statement from the city.
The emails were posted online by Distributed Denial of Secrets, a WikiLeaks-esque group. The file is 4.6 GB — too large for your Playbook author to download, so I’m relying on a few sources who have shared some of the more interesting missives.
The emails primarily involved former deputy mayor Susan Lee, former deputy press secretary Patrick Mullane, former Chief Risk Officer Tamika Puckett, and former mayoral Freedom of Information Act Officer Anjali Julka. They also include emails by Lightfoot and her outside communications consultant, Joanna Klonsky.
They show a mayor who, much like former Mayor Richard M. Daley before her, puts a great deal of energy into every detail of management.
She’s like Daley alright…
By far the best story on the hack is in the Sun-Times. Click here and read it all.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 11:14 am:
My opinion of Lori Lightfoot before she became mayor was a lot better than my opinion of Lori Lightfoot as mayor.
===The file is 4.6 GB — too large for your Playbook author to download===
… It’s not 1998. This shouldn’t be presented with out explanation because it’s confusing and distracting.
- Centennial - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 11:18 am:
I turned her well-written story into a list…. Plus Mike Frish. I believe his title was Senior Advisor to the Mayor.
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 11:20 am:
The police are not here to prevent disorder. The police are here to preserve disorder.
- @misterjayem - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 11:30 am:
Unreformable.
– MrJM
- Winderweezle - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 11:35 am:
Another reason to treat the issues with CPD as CPD issues and not statewide policing issues.
Untrained, unrepentant.
- Amalia - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 11:37 am:
would be helpful to see info about matters other than crime.
- dan l - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 11:39 am:
——-
Another reason to treat the issues with CPD as CPD issues and not statewide policing issues.
Untrained, unrepentant.
——-
If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that they all have the same problems.
-Disproportionate use of force when it comes to poc
-Lack of accountability
-Out of control unions.
-Hiding in the bushes during mass shootings and the odd insurrection.
- thisjustinagain - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 12:10 pm:
The list of Lightfoot failures continues to grow. And now that COPA has done illegal investigations (which isn’t new; Second City Cop reported this angle a long time ago), this means every COPA “investigation” and “finding” is null and void. Wait for the lawsuits to follow on this. More incompetence, and it isn’t CPD’s nor the officer’s fault.
As for the turnover in Lightfoot appointees, it proves the point that she is a terrible leader when her appointees are bailing on her.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 12:15 pm:
If your patron won’t listen to you and makes you look foolish with terrible decisions and poor acumen… you leave after being there “long enough” for the resume.
The inept folks still as Staff and Crew need to realize… that time is coming soon when the stink of Lightfoot’s poor performance will not be able to be cleansed from the resume.
- Jocko - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 12:16 pm:
Based on the resignations, it sounds like LL opened up the second letter Rahm left her.
- Montrose - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 12:19 pm:
I am taking the turnover with a grain of salt. I would like to see a side-by-side comparison of her turnover with Rahm/Daley/other big city mayors. These folks are leaving what are tough jobs in the best of times, and it has not been the best of times recently. I have no doubt that Lightfoot is tough (I’ve heard awful) to work for, I just don’t know that this turnover is that big of deal.
- Miso - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 2:25 pm:
One could make a list, just as long, for SA Kim Fox.
- in the no - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 3:06 pm:
thisjustinagain@12:10: did you really just source second city cop? the issue to the extent one exists would be limited to COPA - conducted criminal investigations that led to criminal charges against a PO. Name one. Take a breath, it hardly means “every COPA ‘investigation’ and ‘finding’ is null and void.” Even SCC wasn’t that hysterical before the site was taken down.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 3:38 pm:
If the law isn’t changed, there cannot be a fully civilian investigation of an officer involved shooting death. Isn’t that the point of civilian oversight of the police? Also, yeah a lot if not all of COPA’s investigations result in no criminal charges for the officer and findings that the shootings were within Department policy. I get the story, but there is more to it than just being upset at the City here.
- thisjustinagain - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 4:33 pm:
To: in the no at 3:06…yes, I did source SCC, because he reported on this issue months ago. And COPA findings are also used to discipline officers up to and including termination (see for example their raid investigations; https://www.chicagocopa.org/press/copa-concludes-investigation-into-raid-at-ms-ajanette-youngs-residence-by-cpd-officers/). SCC didn’t have to be ‘hysterical’ to have an incredibly valid point, which is still valid today, that the shooting investigations are illegal. Perhaps you should take several breaths at this point.
- i theno - Monday, May 10, 21 @ 8:22 pm:
thisjustinagain: good advice. try it sometime & then get back to us on that other “incredibly valid point.” You know that “this means every COPA ‘investigation’ and ‘finding’ is null and void” thingy - whenever you get a clue sport. We’ll be here.