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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsChicago Cops Say Keeping Evidence of Misconduct Puts Cops in Danger – So They’re Destroying It
Chicago Cops Say Keeping Evidence of Misconduct Puts Cops in Danger So Theyre Destroying It
With protesters thronging the streets of Chicago demanding police accountability and clamoring for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the citys police union is frantically trying to destroy decades of records documenting police misconduct. As is always the case, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) sees officer safety as the highest priority including protection from legal accountability.
An injunction filed by the FOP insists that preserving those records violates Section 8.4 of its bargaining agreement with the City of Chicago. That provision specifies that all files of misconduct investigations and officer disciplinary histories will be destroyed five (5) years after the date of the incident or the date upon which the violation is discovered, whichever is longer, except that not sustained files alleging criminal conduct or excessive force shall be retained for a period of seven (7) years after the date of the incident or the date upon which the violation is discovered, whichever is longer .
Once that deadline passes, the episode of excessive force or other misconduct cannot be used against the Officer in any future proceedings in any other forum unless it deals with a matter subject to litigation during the five year period or unless a pattern of sustained infractions exists. This element of the bargaining agreement creates an incentive for the police department to delay, obstruct, and obfuscate investigations of misconduct and abuse complaints until the deadline expires and to keep the process opaque to the public.
Basically, they bargained away transparency and accountability, points out Chicago University Law Professor Craig Futterman, who is fighting in court to prevent the destruction of the officer misconduct records. In a world where an incident like [the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald] happens and the public statements are `Deny, deny, deny, and then close off and circle the wagons, and then a code of silence and an exoneration at the end of the day in that system, you cannot create public trust, Futterman explained to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/chicago-cops-keeping-evidence-misconduct-puts-cops-danger-destroying/#BksI6CpwifHUxFHd.99
With protesters thronging the streets of Chicago demanding police accountability and clamoring for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the citys police union is frantically trying to destroy decades of records documenting police misconduct. As is always the case, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) sees officer safety as the highest priority including protection from legal accountability.
An injunction filed by the FOP insists that preserving those records violates Section 8.4 of its bargaining agreement with the City of Chicago. That provision specifies that all files of misconduct investigations and officer disciplinary histories will be destroyed five (5) years after the date of the incident or the date upon which the violation is discovered, whichever is longer, except that not sustained files alleging criminal conduct or excessive force shall be retained for a period of seven (7) years after the date of the incident or the date upon which the violation is discovered, whichever is longer .
Once that deadline passes, the episode of excessive force or other misconduct cannot be used against the Officer in any future proceedings in any other forum unless it deals with a matter subject to litigation during the five year period or unless a pattern of sustained infractions exists. This element of the bargaining agreement creates an incentive for the police department to delay, obstruct, and obfuscate investigations of misconduct and abuse complaints until the deadline expires and to keep the process opaque to the public.
Basically, they bargained away transparency and accountability, points out Chicago University Law Professor Craig Futterman, who is fighting in court to prevent the destruction of the officer misconduct records. In a world where an incident like [the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald] happens and the public statements are `Deny, deny, deny, and then close off and circle the wagons, and then a code of silence and an exoneration at the end of the day in that system, you cannot create public trust, Futterman explained to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/chicago-cops-keeping-evidence-misconduct-puts-cops-danger-destroying/#BksI6CpwifHUxFHd.99
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Chicago Cops Say Keeping Evidence of Misconduct Puts Cops in Danger – So They’re Destroying It (Original Post)
FreakinDJ
Jan 2016
OP
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)1. Puts them in danger of being jailed.
madokie
(51,076 posts)2. That is exactly what it is too
lpbk2713
(42,766 posts)3. Puts them in danger of litigation.
The individual and the department could lose a lot of money if they don't destroy the evidence ASAP.
msongs
(67,432 posts)4. criminals have unions too ya know. nt
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)5. I advocate busting ALL cop unions.
Cops should never be allowed to unionize because all cop unions are criminal enterprises.
Eric J in MN
(35,619 posts)6. We need a federal law requiring retention of police misconduct records. NT
NT
Octafish
(55,745 posts)7. Trust Us.
Just Us.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,426 posts)8. Is there any other union out there
that enjoys this massive level of protection for its members?
Gidney N Cloyd
(19,845 posts)9. Never seen the likes of it. They operate like a co-chief of police.
I believe in strong unions but the FOP has advanced to the point of actively obstructing justice, putting them at odds with the whole police raison d'être.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,426 posts)10. That concerns me too
Wingnuts complain about how hard it supposedly is to fire bad teachers because of their unions but it really seems nigh impossible to get bad cops indicted and/or even just fired for misconduct.