Crime & Law

City Worker Found With Illegal Gun on City Time Won’t Be Fired: Watchdog

A city worker who had an illegal gun while on the clock will not be fired by city officials, according to a report released Tuesday by Chicago’s watchdog.

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg recommended the employee, who was not identified in keeping with the city’s rules, be terminated. But leaders of the Department of Water Management reprimanded the construction laborer, according to the watchdog’s quarterly report.

The laborer was on the clock when they were pulled over by Chicago police while driving their personal vehicle. During that traffic stop, police recovered a gun from a crossbody bag that the laborer opened to get their identification. Because the laborer did not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card or a Concealed Carry License, they were arrested for possessing an illegal firearm, according to the report.

The laborer twice violated the city’s time and attendance policy in October 2023 by taking an early lunch to attend their court appearances, according to the report.

The charges against the laborer were eventually dropped, according to the response to the inspector general’s report from water officials.

While water officials did not contest the inspector general’s findings, they declined to terminate the laborer and refer them for placement on the ineligible for rehire list, telling Witzburg that it was “important to consider the broader context” of the incident.

The laborer was not paid by the city for working during the traffic stop and the stop involved a “personal vehicle—not a city-owned car, premises, or job site. There was no impact on [their] work performance, or any risk posed to city employees or the public,” according to city officials’ response to Witzburg.

“Since the incident, the employee ‘successfully completed all requirements of the apprenticeship program,’” according to the inspector general’s report. “[Their] completion of the program highlights [their] potential and the progress [they have] made toward building a stable future through gainful employment. Rather than resorting to termination, this situation warrants corrective measures that address the error without being excessively punitive, including counseling on city policies.”

Deciding not to terminate the laborer “not only upholds (the Department of Water Management’s) commitment to nurturing talent from diverse and challenging backgrounds but also reinforces a culture of fairness, rehabilitation and second chances. This balanced approach recognizes that personal mistakes do not define professional capabilities, and it offers [the subject] the opportunity to learn from this experience while continuing on [their] journey toward a full-time, sustainable career.”

In 2023, just 2.2% of traffic stops led to an arrest, and a gun was recovered in just 0.5% of stops, according to an analysis from a coalition of groups advocating for changes to CPD’s traffic stop policy.

Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling frequently touts the number of illegal guns recovered by Chicago police and has pledged to crack down on those with illegal guns. He has also vowed to use traffic stops to catch dangerous drivers and stop criminal activity.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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