Crime & Law
3 Weeks After Police Misconduct Agency Chief Resigned Under Fire, COPA Remains Leaderless With No Interim Head Named
(WTTW News)
The agency charged with investigating Chicago Police Department misconduct has been without an interim leader for three weeks, and it is not clear who is in charge of investigating the latest fatal police shooting.
A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged he has not named an interim replacement for Andrea Kersten, who resigned as the chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA, on Feb. 13. Her last day was Feb. 28.
Kersten stepped down before the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, known as the CCPSA, could take a vote of confidence in her leadership, a move that was likely to trigger her termination.
Anthony Driver, Jr., the president of the CCPSA, declined to comment when asked by WTTW News if he knew who was leading COPA on an interim basis.
A spokesperson for COPA said the agency is “fully operational and conducting all critical business as usual.”
“COPA eagerly anticipates the mayor’s office selection of an interim chief,” according to the statement.
Former First Deputy Chief Administrator Ephraim Eaddy left COPA alongside Kersten, leaving the agency’s top two positions vacant.
The agency’s website lists Chief of Staff Jay Westensee and General Counsel Robin Murphy as COPA’s highest ranking officials. Neither man responded to an inquiry from WTTW News Friday morning asking if they are serving as the interim head of COPA.
A statement from the mayor’s office said Westensee and Murphy are performing the responsibilities of the chief administrator, but offered no firm timeline on the record for an interim leader to be selected, saying only that one would be appointed “shortly.”
Since the beginning of the year, Chicago police officers have shot five people, killing three, records show.
The latest fatal shooting took place Thursday morning in Roseland, as officers responded to a call of a domestic disturbance and confronted “an armed male offender and female victim inside a bedroom. As the officer attempted to de-escalate, the female victim was able to flee the room. As the offender pointed the firearm in the direction of the officer, the officer fired their weapon, striking the offender,” according to a statement from a police spokesperson.
In all of 2024, Chicago police officers shot 12 people, killing six, records show.
COPA investigators have 18 months to probe complaints and police shootings under city law, putting intense pressure on the agency to complete their work much faster than in years past.
In 2024, COPA received more than 3,200 complaints of police misconduct, including more than 500 allegations of excessive force. That is the greatest number of complaints since 2020, records show.
Nine city agencies and departments, including COPA, do not have a permanent, City Council-confirmed leader. Those departments are: Animal Care and Control, the Department of Family and Support Services, the Chicago Film Office, the Department of Aviation, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Transit Agency and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
The department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection was without a permanent commissioner for 10 months. The Chicago City Council unanimously confirmed Ivan Capifali as the department’s permanent head earlier this month after he served as the acting commissioner.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
