COPA’s Interim Leader Looks Forward to Civilian Oversight Board


The Chicago City Council voted Wednesday to create a board of civilians to oversee the Chicago Police Department, the police board and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

That last agency, known as COPA, was created in 2016 to investigate police-involved shootings in the wake of the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald. Recently, the mayor has complained about how the agency has operated, claiming it takes too long to render decisions.

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Andrea Kersten, the interim chief administrator of COPA, said she welcomed the new oversight measure.

“As a civilian-led organization ourselves, we’re obviously deeply committed to civilian and community input in our police accountability structure,” Kersten said. “So certainly, we look forward to the implementation of this additional piece of that oversight to sort of a promise delivered after many years of discussion about how this would look and work.”


Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors