How Accountable Is The Mayor For Police Misconduct?

WBEZ’s Patrick Smith explains how the police accountability process works in Chicago, and how much power the mayor has in that process.

By Jesse Dukes, Steven Jackson, Patrick Smith
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at a news conference, April 2020
In this April 10, 2020, file photo Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference in Hall A at the COVID-19 alternate site at McCormick Place in Chicago. Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at a news conference, April 2020
In this April 10, 2020, file photo Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference in Hall A at the COVID-19 alternate site at McCormick Place in Chicago. Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press

How Accountable Is The Mayor For Police Misconduct?

WBEZ’s Patrick Smith explains how the police accountability process works in Chicago, and how much power the mayor has in that process.

By Jesse Dukes, Steven Jackson, Patrick Smith
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For the last couple of months, Curious City has been bringing you stories from our archive as we experiment with some new formats. Now, we wanted to share one of the new stories we’ve been working on.

As protests continue over police brutality and systemic racism in the justice system, in this episode WBEZ Criminal Justice Reporter Patrick Smith breaks down how the police accountability system works in Chicago, how these decisions are made, and what power the mayor holds in cases of police misconduct.