New COPA Head
Anyone familiar with CPD history knows that following the Summerdale Scandal in 1960, Old Man Daley was under political pressure to reform the Department. He was forced to appoint a committee to hunt for a new supernintendo.
But Old Man Daley had a plan - he brought in a police "expert" to head the search committee, a nationally known person named O.W. Wilson. The committee went through the motions, and then Daley had his inside guy on the panel pull one of those, "Aw shucks. The best person to head the CPD is the guy running this search committee!"
Chicago’s police oversight board on Thursday tapped the interim head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to lead the city agency charged with investigating serious allegations of Chicago Police Department misconduct on a permanent basis.
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability voted unanimously to select LaKenya White, a 26-year veteran of Chicago’s police accountability system, crediting her with improving “the quality, consistency and timeliness” of investigations conducted by the agency better known as COPA while improving the morale of the staff and “internal operations.”
“COPA’s work requires leadership that understands both the technical demands of complex investigations and the human impact those investigations have on families, officers and communities,” said Remel Terry, president of the police oversight board known as the CCPSA. “LaKenya has spent her career inside Chicago’s police accountability system, and she understands how this agency operates at every level.”
Someone from the inside doesn't feel right - the institutional bias of COPA (OPS, IPRA) is well known and well documented. But we've already had a comment or two from a retired sergeant who claims she's actually not bad - not a "friend" by any means, but someone who follows the procedures established and who would allow investigations to proceed where it goes instead of steering it politically.
If has nothing to do with us anymore - we're out of the system. But we have plenty of friends still in it and we worry about them getting to the finish line.
Hopefully, it works out. Time will tell.
Labels: department issues
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
20 Comments:
I always found Chuck Salvatore to be a man with integrity and a truth teller. I take him at his word. Old A/3.
O.W. Wilson was from outside of the city and was probably the best choice for running and reorganizing the CPD at that time. His book on police administration is still a classic today.
Here's a question.
Since previous C0PA investigations have been proven to have been biased and having predetermined outcomes, are those effected officers entitled to a review of their case? What about those in 376 currently?
A measure of accountability justifying its existence to the public is how many cops it can hang out to dry. Without an acceptable tally the community will rise up, and if not riot, will vote the present dickhead out. God forbid that should happen. Watch your six.
Last two COPA recommendations I saw in newspaper were rational and sane.
I'd say give Ms White a chance.
some decent fair rulings since she’s been intern , if it wasn’t for her the officers would’ve been canned in the Dexter shooting a long time ago
One police hater for another.
No keeses for them!!!!
OW Wilson being the right guy for the job? During this time when OW Wilson was heading up this “commission” to find a new superintendent of Police, he met with members of the outfit “over by dare” by O’Hare Airport. After this meeting OW Wilson determined he was the right man for the job. You see the FBI or The “G” was following the outfit, in fact I think it was Accardo, and witnessed this meeting. This is documented on Bill Roemers Book “Godfather” if I remember the tile correctly……. Makes you go “hmmmmm”…..
Having dealt with her on OIS she ll be fair to the officers involved ….. hopefully she doesn’t bow to political pressure. We ll see
Can't say I have any respect for a group who recommended a 3 day suspension for an officer who was killed in a line of duty death.
I am the retired Sergeant you mentioned in this post. I was a cadet for 2 years, Taskforce for 10 years, Area #1 Homicide/Violent Crimes for 8 years, Bomb & Arson for 2, and retired as a Sergeant for 10 years. I give my background to show I was a working street Police Officer who had his share of CR#'s. I also was the first former Chicago Police Officer hired by IPRA. And yes, I know LeKenya White, I was on the same team with her and worked cases with her. She is not a racist and one of the finest persons I meet when working at IPRA. Trust me, there were racist/evil investigators who had an agenda against the Police working there. Ms. White was not one of them. When I first started working there, she helped me out to learn the workings of IPRA. I never saw her go out of her way to hurt any accused Officer. She was fair and she let the chips fall where they landed. I think that is who you would want to be the head of the agency that is investigating wrong doings against the Men and Women of the department. There are some good people who worked at IPRA and she was one of them. Believe me, there some real racist working there. As a working Police Officer every time I received a complaint against me, and I got my share, I wanted to be treated fairly. Just for the record, every time I post something on this blog, I ALWAYS IDENTIFY MYSELF. I DON'T HIDE UNDER ANNONYMOUS. I was raised if you can't say it to someone face than don't say it to their back. I feel the same way on committing on a blog.
Old Area One, never worked in Area Three
you got to be kidding me, he was Fred flintstones groupie
If has nothing to do with us anymore - we're out of the system.
No one is truly out until they drag you back in.
make complaints on all copa employees that seem racist
Neil Steinberg must have must have pulled the stopper out of the jug again. He has a hit piece in today's scummy times about the CPD and the fabled Code of Silence. Does he realize that every police officer wears a body camera and the CPD is under more scrutinization than a nuclear power plant.
COPA BARR, David #18, SANCHEZ, Jessica #45, and BAHENA, Arlene #104 arrived on scene at 1907 hrs. Walk
through not conducted with COPA due to Hammond PD requesting they not be present for or on scene of
Hammond PD investigation. R/DC requested COPA relocate to CPD command van area outside of scene.
Chas, I believe the one poster is saying he is an old A/3 detective not that you were.
This didn’t age well. Nice job numb nuts.
is Neil the woman beater??
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