Interim COPA chief outlines Q1 intake, timelines and plans for mediation pilot phase three

LaKenya White, interim chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, told the Chicago Police Board on April 17 that COPA will emphasize integrity, transparency and timeliness under her leadership. "I am committed to grounding our work in principle of integrity, transparency, independence, and timeliness," White said.

White summarized COPA's Q1 2025 figures: COPA received 1,513 complaints and notifications in the quarter, a 4% increase compared with 2024, and 1,122 of those intakes were outside COPA's investigative jurisdiction and were referred to the Bureau of Internal Affairs, she said. White described allegation categories (personnel violations and civil-rights violations among the most common) and said COPA aims to conclude investigations within six months where appropriate; of 98 investigations concluded in Q1, White said 24 were completed in six months and 78 in 18 months (transcript figures as reported at the meeting).

White also described outreach and program development: COPA is preparing to launch phase three of a community police mediation pilot and is conducting listening sessions to inform the rollout. She recognized the independent monitoring team's eleventh semiannual report and noted shared work with the Chicago Police Department on remaining consent-decree benchmarks.

White closed by thanking staff and partners and said COPA will continue posting quarterly reports and updates on its website.

The board did not take action on COPA operations at the meeting; White's presentation was informational.