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Arbitration ruling leaves most serious Chicago disciplinary cases on hold, board told
Summary
The Chicago Police Board was told Feb. 20 that a Cook County ruling allowing officers to choose arbitration has put many discharge and serious‑misconduct cases on hold while appeals continue; board officials reported case counts and a sharp drop in decisions last year.
The Chicago Police Board heard an update Feb. 20 on litigation over arbitration that, board officials said, has put most of the city’s most serious police disciplinary cases on hold.
President Kyle Cooper told the board a Cook County circuit judge ruled that officers may choose to have discharge cases heard by an arbitrator rather than the police board, and that the Fraternal Order of Police has appealed the circuit court's ruling that arbitration hearings must be open to the public. "Thus, as a result of the circuit court's ruling, those cases are currently on hold," Cooper said.
Cooper provided numerical context: he said there are 16 discharge cases and one 366‑day suspension case currently before the police board in which the accused officer has requested arbitration. He said the cases on hold include four police shooting cases and four domestic violence cases. Cooper also noted that only four police board cases are moving forward because the accused officers elected a board hearing; those four, he said, involve non‑duty‑related charges such as residency requirements or off‑duty drug use.
Board members were shown charts, Cooper said, that showed a steep decline in cases decided by the board in 2024 — five cases decided in 2024 versus 20 in 2022 and 24 in 2023 — and a decrease in filings (seven cases filed in 2024 compared with 16 in 2023). Cooper added that no cases had been filed so far in 2025.
Cooper said the appellate process will take months and that, after an appellate decision, there will likely be an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. Until an arbitration process that is open to the public is agreed between the city and the union, or until the courts resolve the appeal, many of the most serious discipline proceedings will remain paused.
