Some advocates for more Chicago police accountability said an ordinance proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel is a good start.
The mayor’s plan would create a new police watchdog chosen by the city’s Inspector General. It would also replace the Independent Police Review Authority with a new agency, the Chicago Office of Police Accountability.
Chicago Urban League chief Shari Runner praised those steps but said there are some missing pieces, like a minimum budget for the new agency and the ability to hire outside counsel without going through the city’s Law Department. Both of those changes would reduce the mayor’s influence.
Due to an editing error, a previous version of the story misattributed a statement to Shari Runner.
Chip Mitchell reports out of WBEZ’s West Side bureau. Follow him on Twitter @ChipMitchell1 and @WBEZoutloud.
