CAIR-Chicago Meets With Internal Affairs of Chicago Police Department

CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham met with Assistant Deputy Superintendent Debra Kirby on Thursday to discuss the Chicago Police Department’s procedures in handling complaints against officers for police misconduct. The Internal Affairs Division of the Chicago Police Department investigates complaints of racial profiling by police officers, while the Office of Professional Standards (OPS) investigates complaints of excessive force by police officers. Although Assistant Deputy Superintendent Kirby stated that it was difficult to “prove” that an officer acted in bias, each officer is issued an unofficial warning upon receipt of a complaint. That warning places the officer and his or her supervisor on notice that if future complaints of racial profiling come in, they are subject to disciplinary action. Kirby said that more than one complaint against an officer was very rare. Kirby urged community members to report complaints against Chicago Police Officers to the Office of Professional Standards (OPS). From there a determination is made as to whether OPS or Internal Affairs will conduct the investigation. However, CAIR-Chicago urges the Muslim community to report all incidents of racial profiling and police misconduct to CAIR-Chicago first, so that it may be determined whether filing a complaint with OPS will be useful. copyright © 2005, cairchicago.org