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COPA to investigate alleged extremist activity by officers after City Council vote; community mediation pilot set for mid‑summer
Summary
COPA Chief Administrator Lakenya White told the Police Board the City Council voted to expand COPA's investigative jurisdiction to include allegations of extremist activity by Chicago police officers; COPA will write procedures before opening investigations and has chosen 11 mediators for a community mediation pilot.
Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability will develop rules to investigate allegations of extremist activity by members of the Chicago Police Department after the City Council voted to expand COPA's jurisdiction, Chief Administrator Lakenya White told the Police Board on May 21.
White said COPA "will now begin developing procedures, rules, and regulations that govern these investigative processes. Upon completion of that process, we will begin investigations into these allegations." She did not offer a timetable for completing the rules beyond saying that investigations will start after procedures are finalized.
White also announced that COPA convened a panel of community stakeholders to help screen and select mediators for a community mediation pilot. She said 11 mediators were chosen and will attend a three‑day (24‑hour) training hosted by Marcia Thompson; COPA expects mediators to complete onboarding and additional skills workshops and begin mediating eligible complaints by mid‑summer 2026.
White said COPA received about 30 applications from residents to serve on a COPA community advisory committee and plans to constitute that committee in June. She offered condolences on the recent death of Officer John Bartholomew and said COPA is monitoring the community response.
White's comments were given as part of the Police Board's May meeting; she asked the board and the public to watch COPA's website for future procedural updates. The board did not take a formal vote on the jurisdiction expansion during the meeting; White said the City Council had approved the change the day before.
