COMMUNITY COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ANNOUNCES NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR COPA CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

COMMUNITY COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ANNOUNCES NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR COPA CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

CHICAGO – The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) will launch a nationwide search for the next Chief Administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), following the announcement that Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten is resigning. The CCPSA thanks Chief Kersten for her service to the City.

By ordinance, when a vacancy occurs in the office of the COPA Chief Administrator, the CCPSA is charged with leading a national search and selecting a replacement. The CCPSA’s selected candidate is subject to City Council approval. If the City Council rejects the Commission’s candidate, the Commission must select a new candidate. The process continues until the City Council approves a candidate the CCPSA selected.

“COPA plays a crucial role in Chicago’s public safety and accountability system,” said CCPSA President, Anthony Driver. “COPA was created primarily to investigate allegations of police misconduct and to recommend appropriate discipline. For Chicago’s police accountability system to succeed, people who bring complaints to COPA and members of the Chicago Police Department who are the subject of COPA investigations, must all believe that COPA’s processes are fair, effective, and equitable.”

“Selecting a new COPA Chief Administrator is one of the most significant powers that the Commission has and it’s something that we take very seriously,” said CCPSA Vice President, Remel Terry. “At this critical time, COPA needs a visionary and transformative leader, who can strengthen our accountability system. Chicago residents must know that police officers who break the rules will face appropriate discipline. And police officers must know that the system is thorough and fair.”

During the search process, the CCPSA is required by ordinance to engage a nationally recognized organization with expertise in government oversight to assist in the search. CCPSA will work with that organization to develop a job posting and conduct a nationwide search. Commissioners will review applications, conduct interviews, and select a candidate to send to the City Council for approval.

As with the Commission-led process that resulted in the selection of Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, the Commission will seek input from a wide range of stakeholders. “This is an incredibly important position at an incredibly important time,” said President Driver. “We look forward to working with stakeholders across the city to select COPA’s next leader.”

The CCPSA will provide regular updates on the search process to ensure that Chicagoans are informed and engaged throughout the process. Updates will be posted to the CCPSA website and provided at the CCPSA’s monthly public meetings on the last Thursday of each month.

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