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COPA says it has increased consent‑decree compliance; Welcoming City Ordinance complaints move to COPA
Summary
COPA reported progress on consent‑decree compliance, said it began processing Welcoming City Ordinance complaints after a City Council change on March 18, 2026, and outlined a community police mediation pilot expected in Q3 2026; the board also received an update on an Illinois Supreme Court appeal delaying arbitration for some cases.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) told the Chicago Police Board on April 16, 2026 that it has made measurable progress on compliance with the city's consent decree and is expanding oversight responsibilities.
COPA Chief Administrator Lena White said the independent monitoring team’s most recent report shows COPA is "at least in secondary compliance with 100% of the paragraphs for which we are responsible and fully compliant with over 93% of the paragraphs" for which COPA is accountable. White directed listeners to COPA’s quarterly report and dashboard for details.
White also said that on March 18, 2026 the Chicago City Council granted COPA investigatory jurisdiction over alleged violations of the Welcoming City Ordinance (WCO) and that COPA began processing WCO‑related complaints on that date. She said COPA expanded transparency through its data portal and plans to publish related data.
On alternative dispute resolution, White described preparations for a community police mediation pilot: applications will be accepted throughout April, selected candidates will complete 40 hours of foundational mediation training plus 25 hours of specialized community police mediation training, and mediation is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of 2026.
President Kyle Cooper also updated the board on arbitration: the Illinois Supreme Court accepted an appeal by the Fraternal Order of Police challenging a lower‑court ruling requiring public arbitration for the most serious misconduct cases. The city’s response brief is due May 20; Cooper said that 24 cases in which officers elected arbitration remain on hold pending the court’s decision.
