Page 18 - Demo

Lodge files lawsuit over lead homicide investigator
The Lodge recently filed a state court com- plaint seeking declaratory and injunctive re- lief to ensure the City’s compliance with the Police and Community Relations Improve- ment Act. The Act, passed in 2015, requires every law enforcement agency, as of Jan. 1, 2016, to “have a written policy regarding
With only one exception, the Act expressly prohibits involvement in such investigations by individuals em- ployed by the law enforcement agency that employs the officer involved in the shooting. Most important, the lan- guage of the Act suggests that investigation of officer-in-
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the investigation of officer-involved
deaths.” The Act further requires that investigations of officer-involved deaths be con- ducted by at least two investigators, with the lead investigator certified as Lead Homicide Investiga- tor. Specifically, the Act requires:
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volved shootings should be conducted by a separate law enforcement agency.
Despite the clear language, beginning in Janu- ary 2016 and continuing to date, the City assigned all covered investigations to the Independent Po-
The lead investigator shall be a person certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board as a Lead Homicide Investigator, or received similar training approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Stan- dards Board or the Department of State Police, or similar training provided at an Illinois Law Enforcement Train- ing Standards Board certified school.
lice Review Authority (IPRA), including both offi- cer-involved deaths and other non-fatal officer-in- volved shootings. More troubling, the City gave IPRA the sole authority to investigate “activity that relates to the shooting itself that is pursued at the scene immedi- ately following the incident.” Despite purporting to leave investigation of any underlying crime with the Chicago Police Department, IPRA is given effective control over the crime scene, particularly as it relates to forensic in- vestigation and evidence gathering. Ask any Police Offi-
18 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2017