Crime & Law

Applications Sought for Chicago’s Next Police Misconduct Agency Chief

Chicago public safety officials are accepting applications for the top role within the agency charged with investigating police misconduct, six months after its previous leader resigned.

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability on Thursday announced it has begun accepting applications for the role of chief administrator in the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

CCPSA President Anthony Driver Jr. said his agency’s search is about more than simply filling a position, it’s about “finding someone who can help build trust in one of the most important agencies in our city.”

“The next Chief Administrator must make sure COPA’s investigations and disciplinary recommendations are fair and timely, helping Chicagoans understand and believe in COPA’s independence and uniting a staff around a clear mission,” Driver said in a statement. “They must also take a broader view — identifying patterns of misconduct, working productively with partners across the city, and leading with honesty, courage, and a vision that Chicagoans deserve.”

The commission’s nominee must be confirmed by the Chicago City Council after a hearing before the City Council’s Public Safety Committee. Once appointed, the new chief administrator would serve a four-year term with an annual salary of $203,532.

COPA’s chief administrator oversees an office of 140 investigative, legal and administrative officials tasked with investigating police shootings and the most serious allegations of officer misconduct.

Andrea Kersten, who led COPA for four years, resigned in February after spending much of the previous year at odds with Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who said at a February 2024 Police Board meeting that Kersten had treated CPD officers so unfairly that they are at risk of suicide. The agency’s probes also compromise public safety, the city’s top cop said.

Without offering evidence, Snelling also accused Kersten of allowing “personal opinions and speculation” to influence findings that an officer has committed misconduct and should be disciplined.

The breach between Snelling and Kersten widened after multiple officers shot and killed Dexter Reed shortly after he shot and wounded an officer during a traffic stop in March 2024. Snelling said Kersten acted “irresponsibly” by publicly questioning whether the officers lied about why they stopped Reed’s car shortly before the fatal shooting.

Officers told COPA investigators at the scene of the fatal shooting they stopped Reed because they believed he was not wearing his seat belt, a violation, according to reports signed by the officers involved and released by COPA because they are public records.

In a letter to Snelling, Kersten suggested those reports contained false information.

Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced last week that her office would not be filing criminal charges against any of the officers involved in Reed’s death.

According to the CCPSA, its ideal candidate for the chief administrator role would be “a courageous, collaborative, and principled leader with experience in criminal, civil rights, or labor law, law enforcement oversight, or complex investigations, along with a strong understanding of law enforcement.”

The commission said first consideration would be given to applications received by Oct. 3.

Heather Cherone contributed to this report.

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