Category: Arts and Culture

When filing a complaint against a Chicago Police Officer, be prepared to wait, sometimes years, for a decision. The Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) investigates complaints filed against officers. Based on the IPRA’s findings, the department may call for disciplinary action against an officer. But calls to fire or suspend an officer are reviewed by the Chicago Police Board, which often reduces or overturns the punishment. Many citizens and advocates say the process is both discriminatory and slow-moving as it channels citizens’ complaints through a time-consuming and often confusing bureaucracy.