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City inspector general audit finds gaps in CPD disciplinary records; issues 11 recommendations
Summary
Deputy Inspector General Tabara Richardson told the Police Board an OIG audit of finalized discipline from 2016–2021 found inconsistent recordkeeping: over half of finalized reprimands lacked documentation and more than one-third of finalized suspensions were not recorded in city databases; the OIG issued 11 recommendations and posted responses online.
The City of Chicago’s Office of Inspector General released an audit Dec. 16 that found significant gaps and inconsistencies in the Chicago Police Department’s recordkeeping for finalized discipline, Deputy Inspector General Tabara Richardson told the Police Board on Dec. 18.
Richardson said the OIG examined finalized disciplinary actions from 2016 through 2021 and found that CPD could not produce documentation for more than half of finalized reprimands and that over one-third of finalized suspensions were not recorded in city databases. "When we looked at the disciplinary records... CPD was not able to produce documentation for over half of finalized reprimands, and over a third of finalized suspensions were not recorded in the city's databases," Richardson said.
The audit also found an absence of written guidance for coding resignations or retirements that occur in lieu of discipline and sparse documentation about the "exercise of options" (instances where a member uses vacation time instead of unpaid suspension), which complicates the ability to identify suspensions in personnel records. OIG reported receiving zero records on the exercise of options prior to 2019 and only five records for the remaining period reviewed.
Richardson cautioned that these recordkeeping gaps hinder the department’s capacity to implement progressive discipline, identify training needs, and support early-intervention systems required under the consent decree. The OIG issued 11 recommendations to CPD, the Office of Public Safety Accountability (COPA), and the Department of Human Resources; Richardson said written responses from those entities are available on igchicago.org.
The board acknowledged the report during the meeting and Cooper thanked the OIG for the summary. The audit’s findings intersect with a separate litigation matter: Cooper later updated the board that a pending Illinois Supreme Court petition on arbitration openness has paused consideration of many discharge cases at the board.
What the audit found
- Missing documentation for over half of finalized reprimands (2016–2021). - Over one-third of finalized suspensions not recorded in city personnel databases. - No written guidance found for coding resignations/retirements in lieu of discipline. - Very limited documentation of the exercise-of-options prior to 2019; only five exercise-of-option records in the remainder of the review window.
OIG’s next steps and public access
Richardson said the full methodology, the 11 recommendations, and the written responses from CPD, COPA, and the Department of Human Resources are posted on the OIG website. The board did not take immediate remedial action during the public meeting but acknowledged the report and its implications for public trust and disciplinary system stability.
